The Biological Imperative
by SnowWhiteRoseRed
Summary: BtVS/Andromeda crossover...post the Gift...what happens when the Neitzscheans discover the existence of a mystically enhanced female on board the Andromeda...you know those Neitzscheans and their wacky notions on genetic perfection through selective breed
1. Prologue

**Title:**  The Biological Imperative

**Author:**  Slayer, The

**Rating:**  R

**Timeline:  **Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Gift & Andromeda, In Heaven Now Are Three

**Disclaimer:**  I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Andromeda.  Those honors belong to Joss Whedon, Gene Roddenbury, UPN, the WB, Mutant Enemy, and all the other various persons and affiliates involved in the productions thereof.  I'm just gonna borrow them for this story.

**Author's Notes:  **I've caught Andromeda now and again…saw Into the Labyrinth and thought James Marsters was fantastic…very last ep I saw was In Heaven Now Are Three…I like the new improved Trance and am starting the Andromeda timeline from there…hope to see the ep on why she changed soon…and Buffy looks like she did during the beginning of season 6

**Summary:**  a BtVS crossover with Andromeda…what happens when a proud and conniving Neitzschean male meets a mystically enhanced human female…you know the Neitzscheans and there wacky strive for genetic perfection through selective breeding…I betcha that a whole lot of them would be after the Slayer with her superior strength, agility, and beauty…*grin*…especially the leader of a prestigious Pride…must remember, they believe in having many, many wives to propagate their….uh huh….hope you enjoy

Prologue 

The image of a figure as it falls, arms open wide as if to embrace the pulsing maelstrom of intense blue-white light…*flash*…the very last image of the Slayer, as she sacrifices herself to save the world…again…

On board the bridge of the Andromeda, things are not going so well for the crew.  Currently they're in a bit of a crisis, as problems like technical malfunctions, explosions, and short-circuits range throughout the ship

"Come on, come on…_work_ damn it," shouted a frustrated Rebecca Valentine, banging on a control panel.

"_Do-you-mind_," an equally frustrated Rommie gets out, "I don't appreciate you hitting my consuls, and it doesn't exactly expedite the matter at hand."

"You'd be surprised what a good swift kick to a motherboard can do," Beka replied.

"Don't you dare," Rommie gritted out clinging to the railing of the bridge as another power surged rocked through her systems.  

Beka smirks.  The light swish from the doors alerts the women to the presence of Captain Dylan Hunt as he stalks in.

"What the hell are you doing to my ship," Dylan pointedly asks Beka.

"Me," she says innocently, "I'm not doing a thing, I'm just trying to get your precious bucket of bolts to work."  A sudden power surge shocks Beka from her control panel.  "Hey!"

"Sorry," Rommie replies, with a faint smirk of her own.

Hologram Rommie appears beside Dylan, "Apparently we are in the middle of some sort of space/time anomaly."

"Excuse me," said Dylan.

The Hologram refers to the main screen, where a scene of the exterior of the ship is displayed.  They see that Andromeda is surrounded by an intense blue-white light permeated with flashes of lightning, clearly the cause of all their problems.  "An…energy seems to have appeared out of no where, about a hundred yards around us, effecting my functions with high power surges…but other that that I don't know what the hell is happening to me, sensors are going crazy and…" she breaks off and looks up, mentally communicating with the rest of her diversified entity.  "Damn it!  Incoming."

Suddenly the brilliant blue-white floods into the ship.  Dylan, Rommie, and Beka become frozen in their positions…Beka hunched over her panel, Dylan and Rommie bracing themselves against the railing as they looked to the screen.  All over the ship, the same event occurs…Tyr and Harper in the engine room, Tyr hanging onto a metal support and Harper falling back on his ass from the blast of the last power surge that nearly fried his own circuits…Trance in Hydroponics, holding on to a shelf…yet, ever so slowly, her head rises up, as a flash in her right eye seems to echo the strange phenomenon…one last brilliant surge of energy and everything is quiet.


	2. What the Hell?

**Title:**  The Biological Imperative

**Author:**  Slayer, The

**Rating:**  R

**Timeline:  **Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Gift & Andromeda, In Heaven Now Are Three

**Disclaimer:**  I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Andromeda.  Those honors belong to Joss Whedon, Gene Roddenbury, UPN, the WB, Mutant Enemy, and all the other various persons and affiliates involved in the productions thereof.  I'm just gonna borrow them for this story.

**Author's Notes:  **I've caught Andromeda now and again…saw Into the Labyrinth and thought James Marsters was fantastic…very last ep I saw was In Heaven Now Are Three…I like the new improved Trance and am starting Andromeda timeline from here…hope to see the ep on why she changed soon…and Buffy looks like she did during the beginning of season 6

**Summary:**  a BtVS crossover with Andromeda…what happens when a proud and conniving Neitzschean male meets a mystically enhanced human female…you know the Neitzscheans and there wacky strive for genetic perfection through selective breeding…I betcha that a whole lot of them would be after the Slayer with her superior strength, agility, and beauty…*grin*…especially the leader of a prestigious Pride…must remember, they believe in having many, many wives to propagate their….uh huh….hope you enjoy

Chapter 1 

Ever so slowly, the Andromeda crew starts to move normally again, as back on the bridge…

"What the _hell_ was that," Beka asked, shaking her head blearily.

"I don't know but I didn't like it," Andromeda says.  She closes her eyes, "running a systems check."

Dylan wearily swipes at his eyes and asks dejectedly, "Andromeda, damage?"

Rommie's eyes pop open in surprise.  "None."

Dylan looks up.  "What?"

"What do you mean no damage," Beka queries belligerently, "Did you see the light show?  Weren't you here for those power surges?"

"Yes, but…" Rommie starts off.

Hologram Rommie speaks for her avatar.  "Systems are fine," she begins dubiously, "in fact, systems are running at top efficiency…it's as if the anomaly never happened."

Tyr, Harper, and Trance rush onto the bridge.

"What the hell was that," Tyr asked.

"That's what I'd like to know," Beka cuts in.

Rommie appears hesitant, not believing what she sees.  "Uh, Dylan?"

"Did you see that, the ship was going all wacky, a big flash, then poof, everything's as good as you please.  I don't like it.  It wasn't another of them time thingies, was it?  Because if it was, I'm going to hide out in my work shop until it's gone," Harper charges on, wildly gesturing about with a forgotten monkey wrench still grasped in his left hand.

All through his hysterical tirade, both Rommies have been trying to gain the crew's attention.  Finally, frustrated beyond belief with the universe in general, avatar Rommie walks away to pick up the something left behind by the anomaly.

Trance is the first to notice Rommie's burden; in fact, she had been looking around the room for it since she entered.

"Guys," she starts gently, "look."

Everyone turns to Rommie.  She is carrying a young girl…17?…with long tawny hair, wearing some type of gray pants and a white?  shirt…can't really tell because they're both ragged, torn and dirty…can see that she is unconscious and injured, bruises and cuts mar her face and appear through the large rips and tears of her clothing.  The crew stares, for the first time struck completely mute with shock.  Alas, it doesn't last very long.

"What the hell," Harper whispers.

"That's what I'd like to know," Beka answers.


	3. Awakening

**Title:**  The Biological Imperative

**Author:**  Slayer, The

**Rating:**  R

**Timeline:  **Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Gift & Andromeda, In Heaven Now Are Three

**Disclaimer:**  I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Andromeda.  Those honors belong to Joss Whedon, Gene Roddenbury, UPN, the WB, Mutant Enemy, and all the other various persons and affiliates involved in the productions thereof.  I'm just gonna borrow them for this story.

**Author's Notes:  **I've caught Andromeda now and again…saw Into the Labyrinth and thought James Marsters was fantastic…very last ep I saw was In Heaven Now Are Three…I like the new improved Trance and am starting the Andromeda timeline from there…hope to see the ep on why she changed soon…and Buffy looks like she did during the beginning of season 6

**Summary:**  a BtVS crossover with Andromeda…what happens when a proud and conniving Neitzschean male meets a mystically enhanced human female…you know the Neitzscheans and there wacky strive for genetic perfection through selective breeding…I betcha that a whole lot of them would be after the Slayer with her superior strength, agility, and beauty…*grin*…especially the leader of a prestigious Pride…must remember, they believe in having many, many wives to propagate their….uh huh….hope you enjoy

Chapter 2 

On board the Medical Deck, Trance works on a consul, checking on the status of her patient.  Pleased with her findings, she moves to the sleeping girl's side.  The human moves restlessly, features twisted in a grimace of pain.  Ever so gently, Trance brushes away a stray lock of hair from her forehead.

"It's all right," she whispered, "everything is going to be fine now."  Somehow the words seem to seep into her unconscious, relaxing her tense muscles.  

"Hey," Dylan says quietly, "how's she doing?"

Trance turns back to her consul, waving Dylan over.  "Fine," she says, "a few cuts and bruises…what appears to be minor impact trauma to her body…probably from falling into the Andromeda from…wherever she came from.  But otherwise she's fine, in fact her body's been healing at an accelerated rate…but otherwise…by tomorrow, she'll be as good as new."

"Trance," Dylan interrupts her gravely, "Do you know what she is, how she got here, _why_ she's here."

Turning toward Dylan, "she's human," Trance says, "completely, I've run tests, I've conducted scans and all the other procedures Rommie told me to…and what's more is that **_I_** don't know…**_I_** don't know why she's here, th-th-this has never happened before…she's…unexpected……..

"Trance," Dylan asks with the slightest warning in his voice.

"Dylan, I honestly don't know.  Usually, I can…**see** billions of-of possibilities for every person and situation around me, but for her…" Trance trails off as she looks at the girl, "I can't."  She looks around, desperately trying to find the words, "I can't find her, it's like something's blocking me or…"

"Or?"

She blows out a breath, "Or she has too many possibles, so many that I can't distinguish **one** from the influx of the many…if that's true…then she's very special, but I think that's a given.  Dylan, I can tell you with all certainty that she's good, and that she does belong here now…in this time and place, with us."

"Okay," Dylan says, "But if she trys to destroy my ship, I'm going to be very disappointed with you."  With a defeated sigh, "I think that's all I really wanted to know…but about the possibles thing…"

A groan from the cot interrupts Dylan's train of thought.  Trance quickly goes to the girl's side.  Buffy opens her eyes and looks up. 

"Uhhhh," _damn, it hurts…okay you can do this, you've done it more times than you can count.  Just open the eyes and be prepared to fight._  Lightly her eyes flutter open.  _Ow…hello to the painful and blurry…don't panic… take a minute to adjust, then kick ass and take names.  Wait, _seeing a brownish blur _is that Giles?_

"Oh my head!  Giles, did you get the mane of that monster, because when I find him…"  Buffy starts off warningly.  She blinks blearily, but instead of seeing Giles in his dowdy English clothes she sees a golden creature hovering over her prostrate form…appears human, female?…with really bad hair extensions teased into dreads…_hope they're hair extensions, because otherwise…ewww…………_

Buffy tries to rise, but is only strong enough to manage to brace herself on her elbows.  Tapping down her fear, she casually peruses her surroundings and desperately tries to remember what the **HELL** happened to her this time.

Feigning calm, "Who, who are you," takes a good look at Trance, "What are you?  And where am I…"biting her lip, "wh-where's Dawn," _Dawn, Dawn…she was…and I, I had to…to jump._  She raises a hand to rub at her forehead.

Trance goes to her side, "Relax.  Everything is going to be fine.  We're here to help you.  I'm Trance, Trance Gemini and that's Captain Dylan Hunt.  You're on board his ship, the Andromeda Ascendant…"

"A **ship**," Buffy says incredulously, "why am on a boat, and where's my sister and my friends…did Glory…what have you…"_jumping, light…everything is so calm…'This is my work…this is what I have to do'…Dawn?…  _Suddenly, it's all too much for her…she starts to fade back into sleep.  Trance helps her to lie back down, all the while Buffy rattles on confusedly, "I jumped, I know I did, to save…Dawn…**_Glory_**…is this, am I in heaven, cause if this," starts to trail off, "were hell, then you wouldn't be taking care of me, unless you patched me up so I'd be good for the tor-ture……………."

Trance and Dylan trade questioning glances over the girl's sleeping body.


	4. Trouble

**Title:**  The Biological Imperative

**Author:**  Slayer, The

**Rating:**  R

**Timeline:  **Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Gift & Andromeda, In Heaven Now Are Three

**Disclaimer:**  I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Andromeda.  Those honors belong to Joss Whedon, Gene Roddenbury, UPN, the WB, Mutant Enemy, and all the other various persons and affiliates involved in the productions thereof.  I'm just gonna borrow them for this story.

**Author's Notes:  **I've caught Andromeda now and again…saw Into the Labyrinth and thought James Marsters was fantastic…very last ep I saw was In Heaven Now Are Three…I like the new improved Trance and am starting the Andromeda timeline from there…hope to see the ep on why she changed soon…and Buffy looks like she did during the beginning of season 6

**Summary:**  a BtVS crossover with Andromeda…what happens when a proud and conniving Neitzschean male meets a mystically enhanced human female…you know the Neitzscheans and there wacky strive for genetic perfection through selective breeding…I betcha that a whole lot of them would be after the Slayer with her superior strength, agility, and beauty…*grin*…especially the leader of a prestigious Pride…must remember, they believe in having many, many wives to propagate their….uh huh….hope you enjoy

Chapter 3 

In Hydroponics, the rest of the crew had gathered to discuss their "visitor."  Beka sat on a bench next to the reclining form of Harper, who seemed transfixed by the patterns on the hull.  While, Tyr leaned against one of Trance's shelves, his weight threatening to collapse the fragile metal.  On the other side of the room, Rommie looked out blindly toward the basketball hoop, her attention on the sensors tracking Dylan and Trance's progress towards Hydroponics.

"So, how do you think the interrogation is going?"  Asked Tyr, a touch of haughtiness in his slight accent.

"Tyr, try to contain yourself.  There is no interrogation, and even if there was one, I really don't think an unconscious body makes for good conversation," Beka said sarcastically.

"Now really, I'm just…" Tyr began.

"…concerned for our welfare, our endeavor towards the restoration of the Commonwealth, the future battle worthiness of Andromeda, your continued health of body so that you can propagate your noble line of Neitzschean genetics through the begettin' of many mini-yous….yada, yada, yada.  We know this.  You explain it to us each and every time we don't immediately eject new comers from the Andromeda."  Harper said, getting up from his back and spinning around to face Tyr.  "But I hardly think that one little girl is destroy the world as you know it."

"Well put Harper.  Exactly what I would have said, except for that whole propagation thing.  Personally, I don't like to think about it."  Dylan said jokingly upon his and Trance's entrance into Hydroponics.  

Quickly turning to them, Beka gets up from her seat.  "So…"

"Yes, how is the prisoner," asked Tyr as he straightened from his reclined position against the plant shelf.

"The girl isn't our prisoner Tyr.  She's our welcome guest until she proves herself otherwise.  Even then, she'll probably have as many chances to reconsider as _you_."  Dylan announced exasperatedly.

"Huh," Tyr snorts derisively, "as long as the freak doesn't kill us all in our sleep she's welcome to do whatever she wants.  Just make sure she doesn't interfere."

"Hey," Trance interrupts, "she's not a freak…she's as human as Dylan.  She just happened to get here by some space anomaly, like that black hole Dylan was stuck in or the time thing that I came through.  Just because it disturbed your routine, doesn't mean that you have to get nasty about it."

Harper and Beka hide their smiles at Trance's criticism of the Neitzschean.

Suddenly Trance turns serious.  "If you make one wrong move toward her, I'll make you very, very, sorry," Trance says, reminding the rest that she isn't the sweet innocent Trance they all knew, but a fighter, a survivor from the future.

Tyr simply rolls his eyes at Trance's new maternal attitude and continues with his stoic warrior facade.  

"Ahem," Dylan thankfully breaks the sudden tension, "the girl will be fine, and she's human, completely.  There is no evidence of any special upgrades or hidden devices on her person.  I don't think that she'll give us any real trouble.  Hopefully, we'll find out what happened to her, and help her if we can."

"Human," Harper perks up.  "As in a human girl.  Things are starting to look up."

The crew looks to Harper, disbelieving his gall in the face of the situation.

"What, like you weren't all thinking the same thing?"

"Sadly, were not all as sick as you."  Beka told Harper.

"Sure you are," he said smugly, "you're just all too prudish to admit…"

Rommie shifts her attention from her friends' discussion.

"I think you spoke too soon," she says, referring to Harper's claim to having a good day.

The group is alerted by Rommie's tone.

Hologram Rommie appears next to her physical construct.

"God," Beka starts, "what now."

"A slipstream just opened up and there is a fleet of ships fast approaching the starboard side," the hologram states.  Rommie goes into immediate action, striding for the door and making her way to the Command Deck.  Her crew exchange glances and rush off after her.  

"I knew it was to good to be true."  Harper huffs from the back of their procession.

A video image of Rommie is waiting for them as they enter the bridge.

"Rommie," calls Dylan, going to a control consul.  The rest spread out, Beka to the slipstream controls, Rommie, Trance, and Tyr to opposite control panels, and Harper to the railing. 

"Arming weapons and readying the slip drive…wait, I'm receiving a hail from the lead ship," a hologram Rommie states as her video image dissolves to show the fast approaching fleet.

"Do you think they're here for the girl," asks Harper.

"No," answers Tyr decisively, as he recognizes the ships, "I severely doubt that the best of the Sabra-Jaguar Pride would come all this way for one **human** girl."

"The Sabra-Jaguar?  But I thought they signed a charter with us…you know, they don't attack us, and we help them destroy the Drago-Katsov Pride.  Everyone's happy.  Why are they gonna destroy us now?"  Harper says, bracing against the railing, as if to prepare for the impact of canon fire.

"If they were going to destroy us, they would have done it a long time ago," Tyr says, walking away from his panel to stand next to Dylan in front of the screen.

The image dissolves again, this time revealing the face of the Sabra-Jaguar alpha, Charlemange Bolivar.  His appearance surprises the Andromeda crew.  Usually the very picture of composed and arrogant Neitzschean male, Bolivar is haggard, his jacket ripped and a cut bisecting his left eyebrow trickling bright red blood down his face.

"If you don't need me, I think I'll just go and see how my patient is doing," Trance interrupts quietly, right before leaving the bridge.

Rommie smiles slightly, acknowledging Trance's swift retreat.

"Hunt," Bolivar says wearily, "I am exceedingly sorry to say that I am in need of your particular services.  Permission to board."

Walking past several corridors, Dylan and Rommie lead Bolivar and his small entourage toward the Observation Deck, where the rest of the crew had assembled to await the dignitary.

"Do you or some of your people want to visit the Medical Deck before our talk," asked Dylan.

"No, we'll be fine.  I'd prefer to get this over with, before the oncoming hoard surprises and destroys us all," answered Bolivar right before he entered the room.

Dylan pauses, _damn it_.

Charlemange immediately goes to Tyr, who automatically raises his right arm, greeting Bolivar in the typical Neitzschean manner.  

"Just because a situation is dire, does not give one the excuse to be so barbaric as to forego the proper etiquette," Bolivar addressed Dylan and Tyr, as he let down his own arm.  "Now, moving on to why I am here.  15 days ago, my Pride was attacked by a hoard of Magog, and they have continued to barrage us at every venue.  We have lost…" Bolivar pauses and clears his throat, a chip in his regal façade, subtlety disclosing the degree of his concern.  "There have been many casualties, most important of all was a family ship, containing the mates and children of a select few.  Including all of my 6 wives and all but **one** of my 5 children."  His expression becomes blank; "We decided to come to you for help…" gives a weary sigh, "it has been rather a trial to find your ship.  The Andromeda is quite the mover and shacker of the universe," Bolivar trails off with a faint grin.

Tyr goes on full alert at the first mention of the Magog threat; Harper lets out a quiet "Oh God."

"I'm sorry for your loss," said Dylan, "Of course the Andromeda and it's crew will do all we can to help you."  Turning to Rommie, "Rommie, expand sensors to maximum proximity.  Stay on full alert status.  Beka, take the Command Deck, be prepared to slipstream us out of here at the first inclination of trouble."  Shifting his attention back to Charlemange, totally serious.  "I want you and all who are wounded," indicating the entourage, "here and on board your ships, to have a visit in our sick bay, we'll talk specifics on our way down.  Rommie, tell Trance to be prepared.  Tyr, Harper, go see what you can do to help arm and fortify those ships.  Report back to Andromeda at the first sign of trouble.  Let's go."


	5. Survivors

**Author's Note:**  Thank you to all who read and reviewed The Biological Imperative:  sass angel, adb, Randi, Tora Tigress, CyberAngelOne, Stephanie, a bee, lil'bite, Bolo, Echoes of the Mind, Bob, Promise, Berry, Deep Red, Lanaraofearth, Tora T, and Doukeshi03.  Sorry for mistakes with **Andromeda** specifics, thanks to all who posted info on it…your insight is much appreciated.  Here's a question to all **Andromeda** fans:  What happened to the Orca Pride?  Because I'm going to add them to the story to add to the number of different Prides interested in Buffy…maybe I'll even add a small group of Drago-Katsov…that'll spice things up a little bit….*grin*…I'm pretty sure that Charlemange Bolivar is a relatively young and new leader, at least I believe he is.  If he's not…oh well.  Anyway, so he only had 6 wives and 5 children, he hasn't had the time to accumulate more.  Again, thanks to all who reviewed.

Chapter 4 

On the way to the Medical Deck, Charlemange explains the Magog barrage in more detail.

"We were stationary in Rubius Prime when they attacked, coming out of nowhere.  It happened so fast…a quick volley of canon fire…we barely had the time to retaliate before they attached themselves to the hull of the first ship.  We managed to escape…running from battle like cowards…but it was the only way to save the remaining woman and children.  To insure the survival of the Sabra-Jaguar Pride.  As I said, my wives and all but one child were on board, along with 37 other mates and offspring of our males.  By providence, my mother had taken my youngest son, Elsbet's son, to the main ship.  Ever since, they've been on our trail, attacking us whenever they find the opportunity.  At last count, we've lost 78 of our Pride.  Now that we've joined with the Andromeda and have time to regroup and contact the rest of the fleet, I believe that we can destroy them.  We have to." 

In a quiet corner of the Medical Deck, Dylan updates Trance on the Sabra-Jaguar situation.  As they talk, a steady influx of injured Neitzscheans enter.  

"Oh," Trance quietly exclaims, "that's terrible.  All those people…that poor man."

"I'll be on the bridge if you need me," he intoned silently, "I have to relay to Andromeda the information on the Magog.  It seems we have only two days before they catch up to us."  He sighed and walked over to Charlemange's side.  "I'd like you to join me on the Command Deck once you get patched up.  I just need to inform Andromeda."  Dylan leaves the med bay.

Trance joins Bolivar's side and starts to mend his wound.  "I'm sorry," she says, "it looks like it's going to scare."  

Charlemange grimaces, "Ahhh.  In time, all beauty must needs fade," he remarks ruefully.  "Even my own perfectly proportioned visage."

"Ummmm.  Is this all…"she asks, thinking of the many ships outside.

"Yes, all who have sustained an injury in the last 2 days and managed to survive,"  Bolivar said, turning his sutured brow away from Trance.  "We've already taken care of…"  He stops as a woman enters, bearing a tiny baby in her arms.  "Sophia…" he whispers.

"Hush my son, your babe sleeps finally.  There has been no mother's milk for him since Elsbet and the others died in the first Magog wave.  The women have too many worries for me to add this little one to their burdens."  With a slight swish of her whispy dress, she turned to Trance.  "I am Sophia Bolivar of the Sabra-Jaguar Pride…Matriarch.  I was wondering if you had anything better for my grandson than the artificial swill we've been forced to give him.  He is Traed Bolivar…son and heir of Charlemange Bolivar and the Sabra-Jaguar Pride."

"Let me see what I can do.  Hello," Trance coos as she reaches out for Traed.  "Hi, my name is Trance and aren't you a handsome young man.  How old is he?"

"Almost 4 months now," replied Sophia.

"Well, aren't you just a big boy, yes you are.  Let's see what Rommie has for you."  Trance said, heading for the med consul next to her unconscious patient.  The baby gave a gurgle, waving his fists.  Sophia clasps her son's shoulder reassuringly as she moves to follow Trance.

"Be good son," Charlemange said, longingly looking toward his son and mother. 

"Sire," interrupts one oh his men, reminding him of his duties.  Together, they move on to reassure the people.

"Who is this," queries Sophia, indicating the sleeping girl.

"It's okay, she's a friend.  She just got a little bobo, but by tomorrow she'll be all better."  Trance told her as she fed Traed the special formula Andromeda's systems recommended.

"She's quite beautiful for a human," Sophia said absentmindedly.  "Look, he likes it.  That's a good boy.  Eat up and grow strong like your father, like you elder bro…."  She trails off, belatedly remembering that they are gone now.

"It's all right," Trance reassured, "Dylan and all of us will help.  Your all safe here."

Charlemange Bolivar enters onto the Command Deck with three other Sabra-Jaguar warriors.

"Ah, Bolivar.  I was about to notify you.  I think that we should leave here, find another place to recoup before the Magog track down your ships."  Dylan explained as he went to Bolivar's side.

"Please, we could die at any moment and loose the purity of our genes forever.  I think that you can call me Charlemange."

"Uh, alright," Dylan answered, brow furrowed.  "Andromeda, open a channel to the main ship for Boli-um Charlemange.  Beka, be prepared to enter slipstream."


	6. Orca's aren't the brightest of mammals

Chapter 5 

_Three days later._

"So, hows your friend," asked Sophia, "I thought you said that she had only minor injuries and would be awake by now."  Sophia gently rocked Traed to sleep as she followed Trance to Buffy's bedside.

"Yes, but I guess she just needs a little more rest," Trance replied.  "Will you be alright here without me?"

"Yes, thank you though.  I have these two," indicating the two hulking Neitzschean warriors, "to watch over me.  I'll just go and put down Traed after I check on my Pride again."

Trance smiles a quiet goodbye to the Matriarch's retreating back.  She returns her attentions to Buffy.  "Come on, it's time to wake up.  You've got a lot of people worried about you.  It's been three days since you came to us, shouldn't you be up by now."  Trance speaks softly to the sleeping girl as she changes the bedding.  Buffy is clean and now wears a pair of white sleep pants and tank top Trance found in storage.  "Now, I'm just gonna go check on my plants, I haven't been paying them much attention since you got here."  Makes a last adjustment to the bedding before she finally tucks her in.  "I'll bring you one of my plants, I'll bet that would cheer you up."  Trance leans in close.  "It's time to wake up now, you've still got so much to do.  You can't sleep the world away anymore," Trance breathes before she leaves the room. 

Charlemange contemplated the viewing screen in front of Dylan and himself.  "We seem to have managed to avoid the Magog for the last three days.  With the aid of your mister Harper and Tyr, the repairs and fortifications have been completed in record time.  I've contacted the rest of my fleet, and they should reach us sometime later today or early tomorrow.  If our luck holds, we should have assembled an effective offensive against the Magog long before they are able to track…" An alarm goes off.

Andromeda's hologram form appears next to Dylan.  "We have incoming slipstream."

"Shit, you just had to say it," said Beka under her breath from her position at the slipstream controls.  Harper and Tyr stride onto the deck as the alarm continues to peal. 

Rommie goes to stand beside Dylan.  "I recognize the first three ships, they are of the Orca Pride, but why would…"

Before Rommie can even finish her thought, a squadron of 40 Magog fighter planes stream out after the Orca ships.

"Dylan," called out Beka.

"What?"

"We're screwed."

Holo-Andromeda opens the viewing screen to reveal Guderian, Alpha of the Orca Pride.

"Captain Hunt, what are you doing here," he said belligerently.

"By the looks of it, saving you."

Guderian snarled, "Not if that Kodiak…" pauses as canon fire blasts into his ship, "_Yes_, it would be much appreciated if you and your friends would help us," he gritted out through clenched teeth, clearly displeased with the notion of asking help from the Andromeda with Tyr still on board.

"Guderian, of the Orca Pride?  I really must thank you for leading the Magog scum right to us," Charlemange growled, quirking his scared eyebrow.

"Charlemange Bolivar?  Well, well, well, isn't this fortuitous."

"I really don't think that now would be the time to exchange quaint peasantries," called Tyr.

"Hate to say it, but the big guy's right.  Less bitey more fighty," Harper quipped.

"Andromeda," Dylan said.

"Already on it," she replied, "charging weapons."  

_As canon fire starts to shake the Andromeda._

The Neitzscheans on the Medical Deck are jarred out of their peaceful respite.  They are eerily silent, even the children.  Testimony of their Neitzschean strengths and the ordeal they have been through.  The males struggling to arise from their sick beds, the need to protect the women and children overriding their healing bodies' protestations.   Each and every one silently sending out a prayer, a blessing, a hope for a better future into the void.

_Please, _Sophia entreated to whoever or whatever would hear, _please keep my Pride safe and strong._  She turns her head down to look at the sleeping baby in her arms._  And do not let me see the end of my line._

_Meanwhile on the Hydroponics' Deck_

Trance stumbles on her way to the door.  "I have to get to the Med bay before…"

"Damn it," shouted Harper as sparks from a short-circuiting panel discharge right behind him.  "I hate the Magog, I hate the Neitzscheans, and I absolutely hate when the two come together to royally screw up my day."

"Ever so sorry for disrupting your life.  What would you rather be doing with your precious time?  Tinkering down in the engine room, yes, that's ever so helpful.  Or perhaps we interrupted your _alone_ time, and just feel really sexu…"

"That's enough," bellowed Dylan, "I know we're all a little stressed right now, but if you don't stop, I'm going to shove both of you into the weapons' launcher and you can be the Magog's problem."  Dylan turned back to Rommie.  "Rommie, report?"

"All ships are taking heavy canon fire, but we've managed to destroy 11 of the Magog's.  That leaves 29 to our 19.  I just don't know for how long we can keep this up before…they're starting to attach themselves to the ships," Rommie finished quietly.

"Your fleet better be here soon, or we're all going to die," Tyr cuts in cynically

Andromeda gives a fearsome shack as two Magog ships fasten to her outer hull.

"We've been breached," Rommie said, "they've penetrated a corridor a few meters away from the Medical Deck and a hanger deck on my starboard side."

"Traed, my Pride" Charlemange whispered before running out of the Command Deck with two Neitzschean warriors at his side.

"Tyr, Harper, follow him, make sure everyone's okay," ordered Dylan.

"Oh joy, Magog," Harper whimpered, reluctantly running to the door.

"You would think that your DNA hadn't been encoded with a back-bone," Tyr said as he ran after the Sabra-Jaguar Alpha.

The corridors teemed with Magog, a seemingly endless stream of snarling, spitting brown fur and razor teeth.  And with them came the essence of evil.  The Dark One, The Abyss that Rev Bem had confronted on the Magog's Worldship.

On the Medical, a Slayer awakens.  All within her being screaming at her to awaken and fight, and gnash, and maim, as the First did, as all who Follow do.

Buffy's eyes pop open.  _Yes_.


	7. the Slayer

Chapter 6 

_Have to fight.  _Buffy thinks groggily.  _Must guard and protect. _ She senses the many lives on board.  _What?_  It feels a little like when she senses evil, which she does now, but different, quieter.  She must protect them.  It's as if everything she is, as the Slayer, has been intensified.   Deepened and strengthened through her ordeal of the portal.  By her sacrifice for her world.  And by the release of her Gift.  Her body surges with power.  **_Yes_**.  Whispers a voice, the One's voice, Sineya.  _Yes.  _Answers every part of my being, from my blood to my bone, and I get up.

"What," whispers Sophia, leaving Traed with a woman and rushing to the girl's side, her guards hurrying to keep up.  "Are you alright?  Your friend, Trance is in Hydroponics.  But we're under attack.  Lie back, there is nothing you can do, soon my son will…"

The doors to Hydroponics burst open, heralding the arrival of five Magog.  Sounds from the corridor indicating the impending arrival of another wave.  Sophia's guards and two of the more able-bodied male patients move to meet the onslaught.

"I'll be fine," Buffy reassures Sophia, jumping up from her cot as the men struggle with the enemy.  "I'll be just fine.  Go, watch after the others.  Go back to your child."  Buffy ordered as she marched over to the fight.  "I just have to teach _them_," indicating the Magog, "a lesson on manners."

Sophia automatically does as she orders and watches in amazement at the scene, which unfolds before her.

One Magog lies dead, killed by a phasor blast from one of the guards.  The male patients have already been taken out of the fight, while the guards struggle to hold back three Magog.  The remaining beast makes a move toward the defensive line of Neitzschean men, and the women and children behind them.  Suddenly, a hand comes out of nowhere; grabbing the Magog by the scruff of its neck and hurling it ten feet back out the door.  

"It isn't nice to just barge into a room without knocking.  Now go back and do it properly," quipped Buffy.  The guards spare her an astonished glance before their opponents overwhelm them.  "I said," Buffy grits out through her teeth, "to go back out and do it again!"  Buffy moves to the guards' side, pulling a Magog away and slamming its face into her knee, then snap kicking another beast in the chest.  She then picks up that one with her other hand and throws them out.  She turns to find that the last Magog had opened its mouth and released some sort of acid/stunner? into the face of one guard as the other blew him away with a phasor blast.  "Gross much," she comments.  The guard whirls around to point the weapon at her.

"Whoa there cowboy, I'm here to help you.  So how about putting the gun down before I decide that it pisses me off."  

Sophia rushes forward.  "Yes Nevar, she is Trance's friend.  She helped us."  Throws a questioning look to Buffy.

"Yep, friend of Trance's.  Name's Buffy, Buffy Summers.  Pleased to meetcha."  Buffy said, still staring intently at the gun.

Nevar reluctantly puts down his weapon.  "Good.  I like your gun, looks real handy against those things."

"Thing…you don't know what they are," queries Nevar incredulously.

"Nope, but I know they're bad and ugly.  That's good enough reason for me to kick their ass."

"They are the Magog, a race dedicated to killing all who cross their paths.  They are parasites, laying their eggs into a host and waiting for their spawn to eat their way out of the body," Sophia said, disgust and anger plain in her voice.

"Yeah," Buffy responded, pulling a face at the description, "so things of badness, which I can kill."

"Alright," Buffy began, seeing movement in the corridor.  "I'll just need these," she said, knocking down a metal shelf and yanking out two metal polls, each a foot and a half long.  She twirled them between her fingers and gave a few practice swipes, much to the disbelief of the room in general.  Even though they had all seen her easily handle three Magog, it was another thing altogether to see her rip a part metal as if it were no more substantial than paper.

Several women had come slowly inched forward to help the fallen guard.  Buffy reached down and removed his guns, handing them to Sophia and another woman.  "Here," she said, indicating the remaining guard and the women, "I want you to barricade the doors behind me and only open them when I say.  If anything does manage to get past me, blast them into tomorrow.  We clear."

"With all do respect…" began Nevar.

"But, but…" started Sophia.

"Are_We_Clear," Buffy forces out.

Sophia exchanges a beleaguered look with Nevar. "Uh…"

"Good," Buffy says cheerily, "we're agreed.  Now, go and look after your little one.  They're so fragile when they're small."  _Dawn_.  Flashback to when her parents came home with her little sister.  "Now, barricade the doors behind me," she called, throwing them a wave as she leaves the room.  

The guard and three women move to follow her instructions.  One of the woman screams, seeing one of the Magog start to get up.

"_Down_ boy," snipes Buffy, stepping on its neck and snapping the bone there like a twig.  She turns as she hears more Magog coming towards them.  "Go," she says tersely, "be safe."

Meanwhile… 

Charlemange and his men run towards Medical Deck from an opposing corridor from the one infested with Magog.  Right behind him is Harper and Tyr.  

He stop, mentally damning the huge ship with its many and identical corridors.  "Which way," he directs his question to Tyr.

"Left."

"Wait," says Harper, "do you hear that?"

The rest pause for a second and hear the sounds of fast approaching feet and panting breath.  The Neitzscheans pull out their weapons and prepare to fire on the approaching menace.  Dimly, they can make out a brownish/purple figure, becoming more and more distinctly humanoid in form as it approaches.

"Wait," Harper said, waving down their weapons, "that's Trance."

Tyr grunts, while the others simply turn around and move on towards their destination.  Uncaring if the others follow or not.

Trance catches up to Harper and Tyr, breathless.  "These corridors should definitely be smaller," she comments, bending down and huffing slightly.  

"You'd think the new, souped-up you would have more stamina," Harper jokes as he starts after Bolivar, falling right behind Tyr.

"Shut up," Trance retorts.  She starts again after him.  "Besides, about twenty meters behind me are some Magog."

"Damn it," he said, increasing his speed, "Tyr, Bolivar, wait up."

Back to Buffy… 

Buffy turns away to face the oncoming hoard as the doors seal up behind her.  A small smile appears on her face…_come and get me boys…_

Two Magog round the corner, the Slayer twirls the bars around her as she nears them.  She holds both bars to one side and uses them simultaneously when she strikes out.  Knocking the first off to the side and moving on to the second.  She sweeps his feet out from under him and thumps the bars down hard across his chest, crushing the rib cage and stopping his heart.  She whirls back around to the Magog struggling to its feet and smashes the bars onto his head, taking it out of the game forever. 

She becomes aware of sounds coming from both ends of the corridor and readies herself for the next confrontation.

The Magog come first, the spitting and gnashing mass of viciousness.  And Buffy goes into action, in her element.  She is dynamic, exalting in her physical capabilities.  For the first time in her life, wholeheartedly embracing what she is…what she always was…the **Slayer**. 

And _that_ is what Charlemange Bolivar and the rest see when they finally reach the corridor to the Medical Deck.  They stop in utter amassment, watching her work, seeing the many that lie fallen at her feet.  Somewhere along the way, she had abandoned her makeshift weapons into the body of a charging Magog and resorted to simply utilizing her hands and feet.  They stared as this little blonde girl flipped onto her hands, knocking down _two _Magog with her momentum, and then flipping high into the air and onto the shoulders of another Magog, quickly snapping its neck with the mere twist of her hand.  She jumped off the falling body and proceeded to back flip all the way to their side of the corridor and in front of Charlemange.  She stopped and turned quickly swinging her arm and halting its progress a millimeter from Bolivar's face.

"Spike?"


	8. Toto, this ain't Kansas

Author's Note:  Thank you to all who read and reviewed The Biological Imperative:  Falcon-Rider, Randi, Sarah, Annie-Marie, Deep Red, starlance, technomage, Guardian Loki, Promise, Christabel, adb, Callie, CyberAngelOne, flexiblekitty, Bolo, Kristy Marie, Cynthia Barriga, TD Master, James W, Rashaka, Anymous, and Wiccachic2000.  I am very happy that you all like my story.  I'm sorry to say that I can only update regularly on weekends.  All weekday updates will be sporadic at best.  But that just means that when I do finally get out chapters, they are longer and I've had more time to proof read and edit.  Again, thank you all. Chapter 7 

"Spike?"

Buffy slowly lowered her arm, giving Bolivar a quick once over.  "What…"

Snarls erupt from the corridor behind Bolivar, interrupting Buffy's question.  "Shit."  She grabs onto a stunned Bolivar, spinning him around and behind her.  "What are you…" Bolivar sputtered indignantly.  At the same time, she rushes forward, past the winded Trance, leaping into a flying kick and slamming down the first Magog.

The others snap into action, Trance and Harper moving to help the stranger.  Bolivar and Tyr running forward to meet the Magog threat at the other end.  The two guards setting up a defensive position before the Med lab doors.

Trance pulls out her double knives, slicing her way through the Magogs.  Beside her, Harper shoots Magog down one by one, reluctant to get too close to the beasts.  Memories of his infestation still too fresh in his mind.  On the other hand, Tyr is unafraid of physical contact; rather he relishes it, using brute force and his high-powered force lance to clear a path before him.  The guards mimic Tyr's stance, combining physical force with technological advantage.  

The Sabra-Jaguar Alpha seems the more cool-headed of the bunch, yet is just as ruthless, if not more so.  He shows no mercy, calmy firing round after round into the fray.  Occasionally, surprising the Magog with his physical prowess.  He moves with animal grace, slashing at them with a palmed knife or knocking them down with a quick and efficient flurry of blows.

But they are nothing compared to the Slayer.  Had they looked her way at any time during the fight, they would have been struck dumb by the things she did.  By her almost casual use of clearly superior strength and innovation on the fighting field.

_What the hell is going on?_  She thinks, going on automatic, fight and kill, fight and kill.  Part of her mind aware of her allies' progress and her own situation, another part paying absolutely no heed to the matter at hand.  _If I went through the portal, then why is Spike here too?  And in color? Wait…almost everyone's got one of those laser weapons, like the guards…could I be…_*snap* Buffy's head flies back as a Magog gets in a lucky punch.  _Damn it…fight now, bitch later._  Buffy grasps the offender by the scruff of its neck, ramming him face first into the wall.  

"That_wasn't_very_polite," she bit out, punctuating each word with a head slam into the wall.  Another Magog charges at her from the right.  "Wait your turn," Buffy snarled to him, whipping her arm out and swatting him away like a fly.  The air borne body flew through the air to land onto two other Magog.  Buffy slams her captive's face once more into the wall, smashing bone into brain.  _Or whatever they have.  They kinda look like bats…except huge and without the wings._  

She turns; ready to face her next opponent, only to find them taken care of.  In her absorption with the battle, reinforcements had arrived.  Robots, real robots, and a woman with short blue and black hair had come to the group's aide.  _See, now those are what robots are supposed to look like…it's just too freaky when they look so real._  She thought of Warren and April, giving a shudder when she remembered her own features on one of Warren's creations.  _Spike…when I get my hands on him…  _

Spike and the others just stood there now, staring at her.  At this tiny blonde girl, five feet nothing, dressed in innocuous white sleep clothes and no shoes.  "What?"

Charlemange shook his head in disbelief before advancing on the Med bay entrance.  

"Mother, Nevar, Sehket, is everyone alright," he called out, trying to open the doors.

"Charlemange," she responded.

"Yes, it's safe now, open the doors," he ordered.

_Huh?  Charlemange?  What the hell is going on?_  Thought Buffy.

The doors crashed open, allowing Bolivar to enter into the room and check on Traed and his Pride.

"Are you alright," Trance asked Buffy.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto," Buffy replied, moving her hands to rub at her face.  She pauses, noticing the filth on her hands and her clothes.  "May not be Kansas, but it's just like home," she mumbled under her breath.

Tyr walks up to her, companionably clasping her on the shoulder.  Happy to have survived another day on board the Andromeda.  "I am Tyr Anasazi of the Kodiak Pride.  You fight well and are brave and strong, for a human," Tyr says admiringly, a slight question in his voice.

"Yes, she does," said Trance, whisking Buffy out from underneath the Neitzschean's hand and giving Tyr a warning look.  "For a human."

The ship gave a great jolt as the Magog ships disengage from the Andromeda and retreat.

As Buffy and the others had engaged the Magog face to face, Dylan, Andromeda, and Beka had waged a different war on the Command Deck.  Blasting and maneuvering the Andromeda Ascendant around the battlefield of space, they endeavored to survive.  Fighting a loosing battle until the arrival of the Sabra-Jaguar fleet.  The Magog beat a hasty retreat after a devastating volley of canon fire from the approaching ships.

"Andromeda," a weary Dylan rasped, "Report."

Hologram Rommie appeared in front of Dylan.  "I have sustained minimal damage.  My drones are sealing the hull breaches from the Magog ships as we speak.  The crew is fine and our Neitzschean guests report only one minor injury. A face full of Magog venom, he should be just fine by tomorrow."

A weight seems to lift from Dylan's shoulder.  "And the Neitzschean ships?"

"The Neitzscheans have incurred minimal damage.  One of the Orca and two of the Sabra-Jaguar ships were also penetrated by the Magog…incoming status report from all ships…14 injured, 0 dead from the Sabra-Jaguar…7 injured and 3 dead from the Orca."

"I think we did pretty well, as far as any of our other altercations with the Magog go," Beka said, rising from the slipstream controls and taking a good long stretch.

Dylan ruefully shook his head.

"What was that," I asked, not really sure I wanted an answer.

"That was the Magog turning tail and retreating," said the woman with the blue and black hair.  

_She looks remote, in the leather kind of way.  That's never good._  "Okay, and you are," I ask cautiously.

"Hello," she declared, "I am the Andromeda Ascendant, an XMC-10-284, a fighter class Commonwealth ship.  And you are?"

"Umm, okay.  So how long have you been a ship," _oh god, what did I just say._

"Oh," Trance cut in, "no, this," indicating everything around her, "this is the ship.  Rommie is an avatar, you know, a robot.  Andromeda is actually an artificial intelligence, who is really quite well done.  I mean, she's really nice and doesn't act like any old android.  I mean, you didn't know she was a robot at first, did you?"

"No," I caution, stretching out my new senses and _feeling_ the difference.  _Oh.  Cool._  "I remember you, you took care of me."

"Yes!  My name is Trance Gemini and I'm…well I'm me," she said happily.

I smile, taking in her appearance.  The dreads are iffy, but they suit her.  Her color is interesting and the outfit is cool.  She looks like something out of one of Xander's scifi fantasies.  _She's…nice, good, a little weird…but…she's, a friend._  I reach out my hand.  "Thank you," I whisper.

"Your most welcome," she gushed, "come, I'll get you cleaned up, into some new clothes, and then I'll introduce you to everyone."

"Hey," said a strange little man with a glowing _thing_ on the side of his neck.  _Do Magog fire electricity, _Buffy wondered, staring at his hair. "Introduce me first," he called to their retreating backs.

Tyr clapped him on the back and gazed after the women.  "She is an extraordinary woman, is she not Mr. Harper." 

"I concur Kodiak," said Charlemange, coming up beside them with Traed in his arms, "extraordinary indeed."


	9. Orientation's a Bitch I

**Author's Note:  **Thank you all for being so patient and for continuing to read and review The Biological Imperative:  CyberAngelOne, falcon-rider, Polly, ForgottonByLove, Rashaka, Skelington, Deep Red, promise, G. Zan, Flyer, Nanashi, Mandi, Nikki, laniew1, Anne-Marie, Sarah, Bolo, Elenhiril, sibling, Randi, Jill, Lady Dragoness, Panda Eyes, Alexander the God, Saxxmann5000, and Deb.  The next couple of chapters are to set up the story for…I ain't tellin'…if you recognize some of the dialogue, it's probably from BtVS…some I wrote down and was like, 'wait, they did this on the show'…and some, I just had to add…you'll see why.  I mostly write in third person, but I do also like adding the POVs of some of the characters.  Most especially Buffy and Charlemange Bolivar, trust me, you'll like it.  To all those questioning Buffy's 'possibles'…**all will be revealed in due time**…begin evil laugh…**Muhhahahahahahahahah**… *cough*cough* …**hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha**…yes, I am disturbed

**Chapter 8**

On the Observation Deck 2hrs later… 

"Look at that," observed Tyr, indicating the large Neitzschean fleet outside, "so much fire power.  Bolivar and his people are back safely on board their ships; the Sabra-Jaguar could easily seize this vessel and leave us as so much fodder floating in space.  But they don't…what is wrong with them?"

"I don't know," Dylan said exasperatedly, "maybe all Neitzscheans aren't as ruthless as you Tyr."

"Not ruthless Dylan…practical.  Why create an alliance with you when they could simply take the Andromeda and kill us all.  I don't like it.  Mark my words, they are up to something."

Rommie marches onto the Observation Deck, one Seamus Harper in tow.  Looking on in amusement, Dylan and Tyr take in the sight of Rommie leading the young man around by his ear.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!  Dylan, tell her to let me go."

"What did he do now Rommie," he responded instead, grinning.

"He was accessing my optical sensors in Trance's quarters."  She gave Harper's ear a vicious yank.  

"Ow, damn it Rommie," retorted Harper, "I didn't access anything."  He grimaces as she tugs down harder.  "Uh, ow.  Well, I didn't.  I was _trying_ to access your optical sensors in Trance's quarters.  You sent a power surge through the control panel before I could finish."  Harper grins unrepentantly, while Rommie rolls her eyes at his gall.

"It's a good thing that I did," she said, turning them both around to face Dylan, "He was trying…"

"I believe we all know what Harper was trying to do.  Thank you Rommie, but I think that it's safe to let him go now."

Reluctantly, she obeys his orders.

"Thank you.  Jeez, she doesn't know her own strength," he joked, gesturing to Rommie as she takes up her position beside Dylan.  

"I think that you've finally lost whatever little brain capacity you had," commented Tyr.  "There is no telling what damage prolonged exposure to your Magog infestation has done to your delicate chromosomes.  You've become a sad, horny little man.  A sorry example to the human gene pool.  I strongly recommend that you never breed."

"Oh yeah…look whose talking.  Mr. 'You are brave and strong for a human.'  Mr. 'Isn't she _extraordinary_.'  Like you wouldn't try to take a peek at her software if you could."

Belligerently tossing his head, Tyr snorts his response.

Dylan hid his smile by turning to Rommie.  "How are the Neitzscheans doing?"

"Charlemange Bolivar is currently conducting an inspection of his damaged ships accompanied by Beka, they should be back shortly.  I've been informed that the Matriarch and heir remain on board and are resting…heavily guarded.  The Sabra-Jaguar wounded will be transferred to my Medical Deck within the hour.  While Guderian reluctantly requests that our resident medic has a look at his wounded.  He adamantly refuses to allow his people on board with Tyr present"

"Good, make sure that the Orcas are unarmed.  All I need is for them to try and commandeer you again."

"Dooley noted sir."

"Foolish man," rumbled Tyr, "setting aside the health and well-being of his Pride before…"

"…his pride," Harper interjects insolently.

"Yes, well, that is his prerogative," Dylan answered.  "And how is our other guest.  I hear she was awake for the…festivities."  

"Was she ever," Harper enthused.  "I mean, she was all over the place, punching and kicking and flipping… She did this one punch that made this Magog fly ten feet into the air…and talk about gorgeous…"

"She sounds fantastic…and I'm sure she's a very nice girl…but do we know where she came from, who she is, how she could just appear out of…whatever that thing was?"

"You'll have the opportunity to question her personally in a moment," Rommie informed Dylan.  "Trance and she are on their way to the Observation Deck now."

"Sweet…do I look alright?"  Harper slicks back his hair and tries to look casual.  Dylan wishes himself, far, far away from here.

"Do you really think that this is okay," Buffy asked self consciously, gesturing to the black leather pants and white lace top.  They had just raided the crew's stores, looking for suitable clothing to fit Buffy's petite stature.  There was little of anything small enough to fit her.  Some of Trance's stuff would have, but it was purple.  _And not the good purple…but Trance said that they used to match her skin._  Trance had told her that the shirt was supposed to be worn as an undergarment, but her only alternatives had been more sleep ware or leather tops.  _And too much leather is never good.  Don't any of these people wear normal clothes…cause they seem to be lovin' the leather…give me a pair of jeans any day._

"Sure, you look fine," she said entering the Observation Deck.  

Buffy looked up to see four people, all-staring at her.  _Oh, yeah…no pressure_, she thought, tugging at her top.  _Okay, there's robot lady, skeez, and Kodak guy…hey, who's the hottie…_Buffy took in the tall and broad shouldered blond guy.  _Is almost everyone here an advertisement for Bally Total Fitness? _

"Welcome," said Dylan, striding forward, arm outstretched.  "I'm Captain Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant."

"Uh, Buffy Summers of Sunnydale, California," she responded in a slightly questioning voice.

"_California_," Harper queried, "wasn't that like a place on earth, post Commonwealth?  Does that mean…_damn it_!  I knew it, _I knew it_!  That thing was a time thingy.  I think that the Andromeda is cursed…or the focal point of some time/space _glitch_ that causes really weird things to happen…it's probably a hold over from that black hole.  There's no telling what exposure to its radiation has down to An…"

"Harper," Trance soothed, patting his back, "calm down.  You're going to give your self an aneurysm if you don't start relaxing."

"I'm okay.  Hey," he said, doing a one-eighty and turning toward Buffy, "my name's Seamus Harper.  Engineer, entrepreneur, and fix-it-man extraordinaire."  He grabbed her hand and gave it a kiss.

"Okay," she said, shaking him off gently.  She focuses on the rest of the crew.  "I've been talking to Trance and she thinks she knows what happened to me"

"Yes, apparently, Buffy is from another time…and possibly another dimension.  She was trying to save her world by sacrificing herself to the portal.  It seems that a…Glory?…had opened the portals to all realms and dimensions, and the only way to seal them and to keep her world from being destroyed was to jump into the portal."

"So I did, but I didn't die.  I just got transferred to your world for some reason."

"What's a glory, and how come _you _had to be the one to save the world.  I mean, no offense, but your just a girl," Harper asked perplexed.

"A very strong and skilled girl," Rommie interposed.

Buffy acknowledged her with a sad smile.

"It's a long story, but basically, Glory was a hell god stuck in my dimension.  She wanted back, but the only way to do that was to use the Key, which just happened to be my little sister.  And before you ask, let's just say that the Key used to be pure energy, but poof, some magic and monks, and you got my little sister, Dawn.  Anyway, Glory had to spill Dawn's blood to open the portals, which wouldn't close until the blood stopped.  Until she died.  Glory didn't care that Dawn would die, or that all sorts of hell would break loose in the meantime.  So, she had the ceremony going and I defeated her, but it was too late.  The blood flowed."  Her voice drops down to a whisper, "I couldn't let my sister die…even if she hadn't really been mine, in my heart she was.  She was made out of me…like I used to be before…so I jumped, saved the world, and ended up here."

The group stares at her in wonder and disbelief.

"But your just a girl," Harper quavered.

"No.  I'm not.  I'm the Slayer.  I haven't been _just a girl_ in such a long time," she said forlornly.

"What's a Slayer," Tyr asked, finally shaking himself from his stupor.

"Slayer.  The Chosen One.  The one girl in all the world with the strength and ability to defeat the vampires, blah, blah, blah.  Giles could have told you more, he was my Watcher.  What it all means is that I've got super strength and agility…and I have extrasensory perception when it comes to evil.  Or at least I did until the portal.  I actually think that it juiced me up.  I'm way stronger, faster, and my senses…I'm like a supped up Slayer now."

Tyr gazes at her speculatively.

"That's how Trance knew that this was a different dimension from my own.  You guys don't have magic or Slayers…or vampires."

"Vampires!  As in 'I want to suck your blood, bleh!'  But they're just old earth lore…like the Boogie Man or Santa Claus," Harper said.

"I've met the Boogie Man…way over rated.  Hey, and Santa Claus…he was really a monster who liked to eat children," she said cheerily.  

Harper looks a little green.  The big guys are still dumbfounded.  And Rommie, I think I fried her circuits.  She turns to Trance, who is worriedly examining her friends.  "The only thing I don't understand is how Spike got here.  I really don't think that he'd jump in after me, even if he did think that he loved me…" she trails off uncertainly.

"Who," asked Trance, finally turning her attention from her friends.

"Spike, you know, the bleached guy who was with us in the fight."

"Bleach," Dylan croaks.

Brilliant analyst that she is, Rommie figures it out first.  "Charlemange Bolivar?"

"Yes," Charlemange responded, entering onto the Observation Deck led by an annoyed Beka.  "Did you require something of me?"


	10. Orientation's a Bitch II

Chapter 9 

"Spike," Buffy snarled, striding over to the Neitzschean.  "What have you done now?"

"Excuse me."  Bolivar said disdainfully, quirking that eyebrow.

"Don't give me that innocent act.  Okay spill, how did you get here?  Can you get me back home?"

"Madame, I fear you have mistaken me for someone else.  Though I wouldn't mind…_assisting_ you in any way that I can," he says smoothly, giving her a thorough once over.

Wrong move.  

Dylan senses that things are about to get bad.  "Buffy, I don't think…"  He never got the chance to finish his sentence.

Buffy reached out and thrust her thumb at Bolivar's scar, putting a little extra Slayer 'oomf' behind it.

"Ow!  What in the hell is wrong with you woman!"

Harper winces.  _Shit_, he thinks,_ wrong thing to say.  Do not pass go, do not collect a hundred dollars…do be prepared to get your ass kicked.  Even I know never to say that._  Dylan and Tyr brace themselves.  Beka and Trance frown in disgust.

Buffy merely grins and exerts more pressure, forcing Bolivar to his knees.  She gives him a thorough once over.  Her large, hazel green eyes boring into electric blue.  "Right.  You're not Spike," she said sarcastically.  "And this," giving an extra vicious twist, "isn't a scar.  Now get this straight, I don't know what game your playing but embracing colored leather does not a new vamp make.  And just what is with your hair?  Did you _decide_ to go from Billy Idol to early Madonna…" she abruptly stops.  _What the hell?  _She tilts her head, hearing the faintest of noises coming from the vamp.  _Focus Buffy, you can do this…_ She gives herself over to her knew senses and hears…a heartbeat?

"Spike," she says tremulously.

"What?  No, I am not _Spike_.  I am Charlemange Bolivar.  Alpha of the Sabra-Jaguar Pride.  Duke of…" he began through clenched teeth, shoving away Buffy's hand.  Seriously contemplating the merits of hitting her as he meticulously adjust his cuffs.

"I think that we all need to calm down and talk about this," Dylan interjects.  He really didn't feel up to defending the Andromeda from the Sabra-Jaguar fleet for the rest of eternity.

_A very long while later, after endless discussions and explanations, sprinkled with frequent interruptions by Harper.  Beka and Charlemange are finally caught up to speed and Buffy learns more about the Andromeda and her crew.  Dylan manages to avert a universal incident, much to his relief._

_At the moment, Harper, Tyr, and Beka are back on the Sabra-Jaguar fleet to help with repairs; guided by a still livid Charlemange Bolivar._

Back on the Andromeda, Dylan and Trance prepare to board the Orcas' primary vessel to care for the wounded, accompanied by Buffy, who seems to be taking her current situation rather well…

_Andromeda's Hanger Deck_…

"This," instructed Dylan, holding out a metal pole about a foot long, "is a high guard force-lance.  I want you to carry one, just in case, while we are on the Orca's ship.  I doubt that they'll try anything since we have an alliance with the Sabra-Jaguar…but you never know."

He continued on.  "The force-lance can be used to administer high voltages of electricity or plasma blasts.  It is also equipped for illumination, cutting, and effectors."  Seeing Buffy's blank look, "Effectors are minute attack drones, that target your opponents and intercept retaliatory fire."  Dylan presses a button and the force-lance lengthens to about two meters in length.  "It can also be utilized for physical combat when extended."  He attempted to hand Buffy the weapon.

"Oh, no thank you," Buffy said, vehemently shaking her hands and head.  "Buffy and gu-um blasters are** absolutely** un-mixy things.  Hand me a stake or an ax, and I'll wail on a monster like there's no tomorrow.  But hand me one of those… I can throw a knife, I just can't point and shoot…unless it's a cross-bow.  I don't suppose you've got one of those on board?"  Dylan shakes his head doubtfully, straining to remember what exactly a cross bow was.  "I didn't think so."

"Oh, I've got just the thing," Trance enthused, "wait here."

Trance runs out of the room and makes her way toward Harper's workshop.  Dylan ruefully shakes his head at Trance's interminable eagerness.

"Here," he said, "I still think that it can be of some use to you."  Seeing Buffy's fresh protestations, he added, "I'll just disable the blasters and you can use it as a quarter staff."  

He retracted the force-lance and handed it to Buffy who reluctantly accepted.  She felt a slight tingle in her palm.  Dylan hastily explained, "A force-lance is acclimated to one and only one user…it's scanning and memorizing your DNA, so that it cannot be utilized against you during a fight.  If anyone else attempts to operate it, a high powered current of electrical energy will incapacitate them."  He considered her seriously, "To disable the safety, press these buttons in sequence."  He demonstrated how to operate the various settings with his own force-lance and had Buffy try them out for herself on hers, before he was assured of her dexterity with the weapon.  He handed her a leather thigh holster for the lance.

Buffy looked at it in confusion.  "Is this some kind of new age garter or something," she said, holding it up to her face, "because I really don't think that I need more leather."

A barely perceptible flush spread across the captain's cheeks.  "Uh, no, it's a thigh holster for the force lance."

"Oh," Buffy blushed and handed Dylan the holster.  "That's okay.  It's really just like a metal stake…I'm used to hiding them on me…" she trails off, hurriedly tucking the force-lance into her boot.  "So…" she said, looking everywhere but at him, desperate to change the subject.

"So," Dylan responded, smiling awkwardly.

"So…you were trapped in a black hole for a couple of hundred years.  I sent one of by boyfriends to hell for a couple hundred years…actually, it was a couple of months…but in hell it was much longer…" Buffy offered weakly.  Dylan raises his brows.

_Oh, god_, she thinks, _Trance, hurry up before I say something even more stupid._

Rummaging around in Harper's trunk, Trance triumphantly lifts up a bundled object.

_Perfect_, she thought with satisfaction.

On her way back, she makes a detour into the storage area.  Jubilantly bearing her prizes, she breathlessly rushes back onto the Hanger Deck.  Only to find Dylan and Buffy frozen in uncomfortable silence.

Trance smiles, handing Buffy a short, black leather jacket.  "Here, you might get cold."

Buffy returns her smile, touched.

Trance proceeds to unwrap the last item, revealing a bokken and scabbard.  "Harper kept these after that group of assassins was on board."  She divulged to Dylan.  "I don't think he'll mind; it was just gathering dust in his workshop."

Buffy grasps the hilt, unsheathing the sword with a barely perceptible _snickt._  She backed away and executed a short kata.  "This is more like it.  Thank you."  She said, smiling brilliantly at Trance and a bemused Dylan.

"If we're ready," Dylan strangled out.

Dylan escorted them to the Orca's main ship.

On a viewing screen in the opulent quarters of the Sabra-Jaguar Alpha… 

Locked in his private quarters, Charlemange blindly observes the tableau unfolding before him.  

In the main engine room, Harper works on a control panel; Beka checking on a monitor and occasionally passing him a tool.  All the while, Tyr and several other Neitzscheans remove debris from the surrounding area.  From the screen, Harper's bitching is clearly heard.  

"Damn it, why do I get stuck with you three stooges while Dylan gets the girl.  By the time we get back on board, she'll be all over him just like every other good looking woman who comes on Andromeda." 

"Poor you," Beka responds absently.  A shower of sparks zaps her from the monitor.  "Ow," she yelled, "fuck!  Harper, pay attention!"

Their argument goes on unheard by Bolivar as Tyr and company taunt the combatants from the sidelines.

Bolivar's mind is elsewhere.  He shuts off the screen and closes his eyes

Damn the woman…who does she think she is to exert her will upon ME.  To think that I could ever be intimidated by her…dubious skills.   He silently fumes.  That uppity, no account…human!

He quiets, thinking of the girl.  Of her silky long hair and clear eyes.  The vulnerability of her mouth and the exquisite perfection of her body.  He ruefully shakes his head,_ taken in by a rude, whisp of a girl.  I am deeply disappointed.   I can't decide whether or not to strangle or bed her._  He looks to his bed, a large, round and sumptuous concoction.  _What I wouldn't give to…_  _Damn it Bolivar!  You have too many problems to add the complication of a tryst with a human._  

He sobers, the burden of his problems suddenly crashing onto his shoulders.  The momentary respite induced by his own contradictory feelings for one human girl evaporating.  Reality finally catches up with him.

My_ family, my Pride is in danger.  _Charlemange rises from his seat and makes his way to a wide window.

_My wives…Elsbet, Iman, Lorel, Sena…_he turns from the window in anger.  Each name and face blurring into the other.  

Neitzscheans do not bond out of love; rather, they come together out of need.  Creating a genetically superior line requires…logic.  Feelings are secondary.  Yet…although he did not necessarily love them, he respected them, enjoyed their unique attributes.  They became his friends, his companions, and his partners in life.  They were his family, and he grieves for them.  For what he has lost, for what they will never…

A feeling of sorrow encompasses his soul.  _The children…Irel, Zaor, Menoly…_  He clenches his fist and strikes out at the wall.  Bruising knuckles, grinding bone, tearing skin, and feeling…nothing.  

Children are precious to Neitzscheans.  Each and every new life is embraced with joy by the whole.  It doesn't matter if one has a girl or a boy, it only matters that they live, that the child exists and grows and thrives.  

The greatest wish of all Neitzscheans is to have "hundreds of grandchildren, utter domination of known space, and the pleasure of hearing that all of their enemies have died in terrible, highly improbable acts that cannot be connected to them."  

_The Magog,_ he mentally snarls.  The one word filled with so much anger and pain, that it is a wonder that it does not burn as it explodes upon his senses.  He begins to pace, burning a path before the window.  _They're on the attack, but why?  What is their agenda?  They've always killed for their own pleasures, their own needs…but only when someone gets in their path of destruction. We were nowhere near any of their territories; there was no warning at all of their plans.  They deliberately sought us out, destroyed before even trying to harvest the bodies._  

"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrr," he erupts, without words, just pure feeling.

"We'll have to stay together…on the alert…I'll inform Hunt…"  The Alpha shakes in wordless rage.  He stills, deliberately slowing his breath, calming his senses.  He does not have the luxury to mourn. 

He is Charlemange Bolivar.  Alpha and Field marshal.  ArchDuke of the Unified Sabra-Jaguar Pride.  Regent of the Twin Moon of Avox and Evox.  Commander of the third largest fleet in the known galaxy.  And father to a motherless son.

He sets his attention back to the immediate, more pressing problems plaguing his Pride, pushing past the pain.  There is no time for him to indulge in his feelings…there is never any time.

And a man grieves alone.

Glossary 

**Bokken:  **a type of sword…do ya know ninjas…do ya know the type of sword they carry…then ya know the bokken…it's sleek without the ornate…thing that separates the handle from the blade

**Kata:**  a sword exercise…a sequence of thrusts, parries, and blocks…there are many different patterns for katas


	11. Observation

Chapter 10 On board the Orca ship… 

The three are met by the Orca Alpha as they embark on his ship.

"Ah, Captain Dylan Hunt, welcome," Guderian greeted him magnanimously.  "And who are your friends?"

"Trance you know, she'll be helping your wounded.  This is a new addition to my crew, Buffy Summers.  I trust they will be treated with every courtesy," Dylan responded, a warning clear in his voice.

"But of course, come," he ordered imperiously, leading them down a corridor away.

Guderian leads them to a large room currently occupied with the Orca wounded.

"You will remain here," indicating the woman, "Olga, the Orca Matriarch with over see your work.  Come Hunt, we should talk."  He walked away, automatically expecting them to follow his orders.

"Neitzscheans," Dylan grumbled under his breath as he leaves.

Buffy hears him and grins, reminded of Giles and his consternations with Anya.

Trance starts forward, diligently passing patient to patient, always under the watchful eye of the Matriarch.  Buffy follows, helping when she can.  Supplying material and bracing patients up for medicine.

The very last patient was a big man.  He was tall and heavily muscled with a short and neatly trimmed beard.  He dark eyes glittered as he smiled at the women with gritted teeth; sweat matting his dark hair and glistening on his forehead.  Trance checked him over.

"He is Bariden, one of Guderian's younger brothers and my son," said Olga.

"Your son is fine.  He just has a dislocated shoulder and a couple scratches.  Buffy can you help me," Trance asked, indicating for her to brace him.

"Sure."

Olga gazes doubtfully at Buffy.  Apparently, Bariden has the same thought.  "Mother, call one of the guards in here to help."

"Hey it's okay big guy, I think I can handle you," Buffy grinned, quickly grabbing hold of Bariden as Trance efficiently snapped the shoulder back in place.  Bariden gave a great jerk, but did not move.  He looked at Buffy in surprise.  She smiled back, "Told ya."

A sudden alarm peals across the ship.

On the Orca Command Deck as the alarm peals… 

"Status," barked Guderian marching from a side room followed closely by Dylan.

"Sir," a man responded, "a Magog fighter ship just slip streamed in and out of our sector."

On the Observation Deck of the Andromeda… 

The same alarm goes off on all vessels as the word spreads from ship to ship:  The Magog are monitoring the Neitzscheans.  There might be another attack soon.

The Andromeda crew regroups back on their ship, joined by the Neitzschean leaders and their chief warriors.  

Chaos reigns on deck.

"Excuse me.  Excuse me.  _Quiet_!"  Rommie ended on a scream.  The Andromeda crew is assembled against one wall watching the proceedings as their leader and his second moderate the delegation.

"Thank you Rommie.  Now I know your all upset, you have a right to be.  It appears that the Magog are launching a full on attack against all Neitzscheans.  Therefore, it would be wise if we all stuck together.  You have a better chance at survival in numbers.  Now, if you want to die, your perfectly free to leave.  If you don't, you will respect each other and not try any…funny business for the duration of this conflict.  Any questions?"

The room erupts into chaos again.  

Dylan sighs, "This is going to be a long night."

Beka, Harper, Trance, and Buffy slip away to get some rest.  Tyr remains, intently listening to the deliberations, deliberately ignored by all the Orca Pride.

Beka and Harper go their separate ways, after Harper's humorous and incessant attempts to convince Buffy to join him.  Trance leads Buffy to a room next to hers.

"Here," she whispered, "I hope it's okay."

"This'll be fine.  Trance, thanks for everything," Buffy said seriously.

"Your welcome.  Sleep well."  Trance smiles as she closes her door.

"Good night," Buffy responded, quietly closing the door behind her.


	12. Prophetic Dreams

Chapter 11 

Dreams… 

_I'm on the Observation Deck of the Andromeda, looking out at the stars.  They make me feel like I'm part of something greater.  Part of life._

"They're beautiful aren't they," a somber Trance spoke, coming to stand beside me.  "Each a bright sun giving life to cold planets.  So many lives…just starting to discover their own potentials, to spread their wings.  Will you be the one to help them, when the time comes?"

_I turn to her, carefully scrutinizing her features.  "If they'll have me, if they'll help me.  Will you be there on the day?  Or will you do what you've always done?  Standing by and watching?"_

_"I was not made to interfere my friend.  I simply am…as you are."_

_"Yeah, the Slayer, is that what we are," I ask curiously, reaching out to touch her face.  Trance melts away.  A voice speaks from behind me, I turn._

_"It's what we've always been B," said Faith.  She is, as I'll always think of her, strong, defiant, and so full of hurt.  _

_"I wish I could have helped you more.  I wish…" I desperately try to get the words out, the right words.  Ones that would heal her, heal us both._

_"Ah B," she said smiling, "I know."  She is suddenly serious and I mourn for the girl she never was, never got to be, and not just because she was Called._

_"This is our path, this is our way.  You always had the plan B, I just lost it somewhere to grandmother's house."  She grins, and retreats behind her shell.  "I love the new digs," she said, indicating my new leather ensemble._

_"It's all they had."_

But it's not all you need_, she spoke into my mind._

_"Wish I could be there…they've got some quality beef cake, it's like an all-you-can-eat buffet."_

_"I don't think I'm ready for that," I respond, thinking of a particular someone._

_A smile spreads across her scarlet lips.  "Ummm, now he's some quality meat.  Wouldn't mind having me a piece of that."_

_"Gross Faith, you've got a one track mind."_

_"That's why the animals like me."  She fades away, taking the room with her.  Now I'm at the bronze dressed in my white Spring Fling outfit, the one I died in._

Well, isn't this morbid_, I think._

_A guy comes up to me with purple hair, I remember him, he used to howl at the moon when the sun went down._

_"Hey Oz, how's Willow?"_

_"She's good, finding her way back home.  Tara's helping."_

_"That's good, was she lost?"_

_"They all were.  Hey, do you think if I practice hard enough, I can reach E-flat diminished ninth, it's a man's…"_

_His keeps talking as I move away.  _So impolite of me, sorry Oz._  I see Giles singing on stage, Veruca and Harmony his back up singers.  I pause for a while to listen.  I can't catch all the words, just a couple verses.   He's got a strong voice, but it is just way to disturbing to find my Watcher…doing _that_._

Your Path's unbeaten And it's all uphill And you can meet it As you always will 

_I start to move to the stage._

I wish I could say the right words To lead you through this land Wish I could play your father And take you by the hand 

God, Giles.  _Tears start falling from my eyes as I ascend the stage._

I wish I could lay your arms down 

**And let you rest at last**

**Wish I could slay your demons**

But now that time has past… 

I stand before him, my Watcher, my…father.  I lay my hands on his face, and he stops singing.  I open my own mouth…

Believe me I don't want to go 

**And it'll grieve me cause I love you so **

**But we both know**

I rest my forehead against his own as he starts to sing again.

Wish I could say the right words 

**To lead you through this land**

**Wish I could slay your demons**

**And take you by the hand…**

He clutches at me desperately, crying as he sings.  And I know.  That he loves me, that he misses me, and that he understands.  

_I close my eyes.  He'll always love me…and I'll always love him.  He was my father after all, in every way that mattered, and we finish the song.  Together._

Wish you could stay 

**~~~**

**Wish I could stay**

**~~~**

**Wish you could stay**

**~~~**

Wish I could stay ~~~ Wish you could stay 

**~~~**

**Wish I could stay**

**~~~**

**Wish you could…stay**

**~~~**

**Wish I could…stay**

The music stops…when I open my eyes the stage is clear.  I turn to see my friends at a table…Anya sitting in Xander's lap, Tara and Willow all snuggly next to them…Giles desperately wiping at his glasses…and Dawn…Dawnie, she's laughing at something Xander says…I haven't seen her so happy since… I quickly descend the stage and make my way toward them.  But the crowd thickens.  I can't seem to shove them away fast enough…the flow is stronger than all my Slayer strength. 

"Excuse me.  Excuse me."  I push against the bodies.  "Dawn.  Xander.  Willow.  Guys, I'm here."

_Snarls and growls drown out my cries.  I look on as the people morph into the Magog.  I'm in a cave now, surrounded by the snapping mass.  A light behind them catches my attention.  I turn my head to glimpse a fiery outline…and then I'm back on the Observation Deck._

_Trance stands beside me._

_"You don't belong with them now."_

_I get angry and move to confront her._

_Instead, I find myself facing Kendra…and we're in the library.  I can see my past, me desolately clutching her dead body to my own.  Too many changes, I clutch at my head.  Desperate to make everything still._

_"We are always wit' you," she said in her heavily accented speech._

_"What's going on? Why…"_

_"We are always wit' you.  When you need help, we are always there.  We are sisters…all of us."_

_She reaches out and clasps my shoulders.  She gives a shake to her head, her long hair flying every which way.  And suddenly, the Slayer is holding me, the First.  Her coal black eyes boring into my own._

_"Death is your gift."_

_"I know, but I already gave at the office," I reply._

_"Death is our gift, because we are full of love."_

_"Huh?"_

_Trance is back, but then she turns into Tara…I'm starting to hate this._

"We called, we were not the called.  Our love for our people, for life changed us, made us strong.  Our cries for mercy from the Evil Ones were heard and answered.  We called ourselves.  And our will, our mission endures.  We are the Slayers, a line of warriors stretching back through time and forward into eternity.  We are all connected…by blood, by bone, and by our souls."

_The First appears and takes up the edict in her gravely voice.  "We exist in the action of death, in the blood cry, in the penetrating wound.  We are destruction…absolute, alone.  But connected.  Always."_

_"Is that why we're here.  To fight another fight."_

_Tara closes her eyes.  "You were not the first to refuse us, but you are the first to accept us.  When you sacrificed your life for our mission, you took us in and made peace with us.  _You _show us the way now, the path.  Your sisters will carry on in our stead.  _You_ will live."_

_I turn away from the being with Tara's face.  And face the First.  But she is gone, and in her stead is…_

"Mom?"  I start to cry, this…hurts.

_My mom comes to me, and cradles my face in her hand, just like she used to.  I'm blinded by tears, choked with them.  I'm afraid to speak, but I need to.  I have so many things I want to tell her, that I need to say, things that I never got to._

_"I love…"_

_"Shh, shh, shh," she hushes me.  She kisses me on my forehead, and I'm home…_

_"It's all right baby, I know.  I'm so proud of you."_

_"But…"_

_"No, no buts," mom smiles at my and brushes my tears away.  "I love you.  Now go, you have _**miles to go before you sleep**_."_

_I close my eyes, sensing that my mother has gone, just like the rest.  I feel lean, strong arms wrap around me from behind, offering comfort and support.  I rest my head back against a man's chest, feeling…an indescribable feeling, that could be love and is…completion._

_He smells good, like the tobacco he smokes and like himself.  A unique blend of scents that is solely his.  Here, in the dream world, I can allow myself to take his love…and reciprocate it.  _

_I snuggle in his embrace and open my eyes.  _

_"I thought that you would be with them," I say, nodding my head at the table that has suddenly re-materialized in the distance._

_"I was,"_ he_ rumbled from deep in his chest.  "I promised.  But sometimes promises aren't enough when the spirit is unwilling."_

_"Did you die?"_

_"No Pet, I was already dead.  I just decided to follow you."  I look up at him and he leans down to kiss my forehead.  A warm feeling spreads from his lips to my heart, where he always is, where I never knew he was.  Where I never knew I needed him to be._

_His customary black on black ensemble shifts into colored leather as his tousled bleached locks grow out._

_"Why did you change?  I liked you just the way you were."_

_"Change is a fact of life," he told me, the British accent melting away into the deep and proper tones of Charlemange Bolivar.  His mouth spreads into that familiar sexy grin, "And I am alive."_

_"So you are."  I turn in his secure embrace until I face him.  Until I can look into his beautiful blue, blue eyes.  I lunge forward, desperately melding our lips together.  His taste explodes on my tongue and I reach up to grasp his hair. _

_Our lips part, bruised and vulnerable.  "I told you, I'd never…"_

_Before he can finish his sentence, he is pulled from my arms. Everything disappears; all that is left is space, cold and black with no stars to light my way.   I hold nothing now and feel so desolate._

**_"There is no hope here,"_**_ a low rasping voice hissed by my ear.  **"You cannot save this world, for I am its master.**  **And I will crush it beneath my heal."**_

_A cacophony rumbles into being, getting louder and louder.  It is the sound of hundreds of thousands of Magog, thirsting for blood and violence._

_I try to move, to fight and kill, but I can't.  As I stand frozen, the…voice speaks on._

"And my minions will inundate the universe, spreading my word throughout the cosmos.  And my word is…Abyss."

I register the last statement as a hiss, but it seemed to echo through by bones.  It felt like the…presence that first awakened me on Andromeda.  That my Slayer half reacted to.  

Pain spears through me.  Unimaginable.  Indescribable.  Like nothing I had ever felt before.  Not the desperate burning need to breath that I remember from my death.  Nor the seemingly endless maelstrom that was the portal.

I can't escape and I can't make it stop.

I strain to fight, to rend and tear the thing that is killing me, all over again.  But I find that I'm nothing.  Formless.  Without hands or fists to strike out.  

With everything in me, with all that is left of my being, I cry out.

The girl has been tossing and turning in her sheets for the last hour.  Disturbing dreams invading her repose.  Tears and sweat gleaming on her face, causing tendrils of her long honey gold hair to stick to her.  Then she relaxes, her body laying flat and a smile smoothing her tense features.  But that only last for a second, before all her muscles tense up, her slender weight solely supported by her head and feet.  Her body twisted into a painful arch.  Hazel green eyes pop open, seeing nothing.  She awakens, screaming.  
  


"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

and miles to go before my sleep 

-so totally Robert Frost


	13. After Image

Author's Note:  Thank you all for continuing to read and review The Biological Imperative:  Melissa, Elenhiril, CyberAngelOne, Jill, ForgottenByLove, Falcon-Rider, Skelington, Deep Red, Rashaka, Randi, Mad Minute, Guardian Loki, Promise, Sarah, Sarah The Bloody, Deb, Alexander, tigerlily, watchergirl, SCWLC, mandy, Bolo, Lady Dragoness, and Anne-Marie.  Chapter 12 

The scream reverberated throughout the Andromeda Anscendant.  The tortured sound streamed through the corridors, waking everyone on the large ship.

***

The Neitzscheans wake first.  Traed crying out in fear; Olga moving to protect her grandson.  The guards burst into her room and take up defense positions, weapons drawn.  Ready for battle.  Charlemange rushes to the source of the noise, gripping a phazor gun and wearing only a pair of sleep pants.  Likewise, Tyr jumps out of bed, automatically on the alert.  Their heightened senses acclimating themselves to any danger.

***

Dylan awakens, immediately reaching for his clothes.

"Andromeda," he rasps.

"It's Buffy sir, she…" she doesn't get to finish; he's already out the door.

***

Harper falls out of bed with a bang in a hopeless tangle, surprised and panting.  Wondering what the hell is going on now.

***

Beka pops up disoriented, trying to remember if it was her screaming.

***

Trance jolts out of her bed, running to Buffy's room before she even registers what is happening.

She finds her in the middle of the bed.  Huddled in a pool of white sheets, hugging her knees to her chest.  Trance moves to her side.

"It's okay, sh, sh.  Everything's okay,"  Trance soothes her, putting Buffy back to sleep.

Dylan rushes in followed by Rommie, Tyr, Charlemange, and Beka, a weary Harper lagging behind.

"What," Dylan said.

"Shh," Trance silences him, placing Buffy down and tucking her in.  The Neitzschean's are scanning the room as Rommie reprimands Dylan.

"As I was saying, that was Buffy screaming, I think she had a bad dream."

Trance bundles them out of the room, Charlemange throwing a last lingering look at the young girl.

"Rommie's right, she just had a bad dream.  Everything's fine, go back to sleep."

The group grumbles as they stumble back to bed.  Charlemange first making his way to the Matriarch's room, to assure her that all was well, his thoughts still on Buffy.  Feeling…worried for her.

Buffy awoke early, fully aware of what happened to her last night.  She lay there and mentally cursed the powers that be that put her into this situation.

Ugh, I hate Slayer dreams.  Why can't they just straight out tell me what they want to tell me.  But no, they gotta be all cryptic.  If…the whatever out there really wanted me to save the world, then there should be graphs and charts and really explicit instructions.

She gave a groan forcing herself up and out of bed.

If I tell them about it…no, I can't tell them, I won't.  They'll just think that the portal has driven me off the deep end.  God, I wish Giles was here.

A knock sounded at her door.  

"Buffy," Trance called softly, "are you up?"

"Yeah, I'm up."

"Well come on, Harper and I've got some stuff for you to look through, and maybe we can take another rifle in storage for more clothes before breakfast."

"Coming."

After breakfast…or what passed for breakfast on the Andromeda… 

After helping Buffy pick out some non-heinous clothing, Beka and Trance had gone back on board the Orca ship to check on the wounded.  Likewise, Harper and Tyr returned to the Sabra-Jaguar ships for more repairs.  Their Sabra-Jaguar guests were checking on their ships, ensuring the security of their Pride.  All would return in a few hours. 

It had been decided that when the rest of the Orca fleet reached them, the unified convoy would withdraw to another, safer sector of space.  Then steadily make their way to Tarazed, the last refuge of the Commonwealth.

Dylan accompanied Beka and Trance to the Orca fleet, to conduct last minute negotiations with Guderian.  Rommie and Buffy were the only ones left on board.

"Are you sure that you'll be fine by yourself?   I just need to perform some last minute maintenance inspections and I doubt that it would be terribly riveting for you," said Rommie.

"Oh, I'll be fine.  Trance and Harper assembled some 'vintage' earth memorabilia for me to go through from the old crews' personal items and your records.  They wanted me to have some things from my time…even if this isn't my reality," Buffy reflects.  She smiles, "But your history is pretty close to my world's, so I figure you gotta have some things I'll recognize.  I'm sure I can amuse myself for the next couple of hours.  I hope.   This is the first free time I've had in a long while.  I'll probably be on the Observation Deck when I finish."

"All right, if you need me for anything just call out.  My sensors can monitor you if there is a problem."  Rommie walks away leaving Buffy to her own devices.

Left to her own devices in her quarters, Buffy begins to sort through her paraphernalia.  She grins, "Just like shopping, only without the spending of the cash, a definite happy."

Almost 2 hours later… 

Buffy has been meditating on the Observation Deck for the last half hour, dressed in black sleep pants and a white top.  She lets her breath out in a soft stream, rising from her lotus position and carefully stretching her muscles.

_Meditation, who knew I'd find that doing so much _nothing _would feel so good_, she thought ruefully.

She finished stretching and prepared herself to begin _Eui-Am_, a Tae Kwon Do pattern reserved for students of the first Dan.  It was one of the directional exercises Giles had taught her before the trouble with Glory.  She found she needed the serenity these motions brought her, and to expel her newfound excess Slayer energy.  

She moved smoothly into the defensive and offensive patterns of the _Eui-Am_, fighting an invisible foe.  All the while, her mind occupied with other thoughts.

_So, I got a pretty good haul from all that stuff Trance and Harper found for me,_ the thoughtfulness of her new friends making her happy.  _Rommie's records had mostly history stuff and books, which was kind of interesting, _she grinned, remembering how she had tossed the com-pad away after giving it only a fleeting look.  _But the rest of it was quality.  _

Some of the female crew had 'vintage' clothing from her era, the same cuts and styles, but obviously redone with that century's flare.  A few of the lace and more plain dresses that were too short and made out of some weird material; they could be worn over her leather pants as long tunics.  A couple pants and other tops were also salvageable.   

Another plus was that one of the guys had had an exceptional collection of 'old' rock.  Personally, Buffy only listened to whatever appealed to her at the moment, techno being a big part because she could exercise to it.  But she found that a lot of the music the guy was into was cool, the heavy beats and lyrics pleasing her ear.  _Good fighting music_, she thought with a savage gleam in her eye.

Everything else she had deposited back into the storage before heading off to the Observation Deck for her exercise.  

Buffy finished the _Eui-Am_, and headed to a control panel.  She programmed the panel to play a selection of the songs she had found.  Retreating to the center of the room, Buffy primed herself for some of her own unique brand of 'fun.'

Linkin Parks' In the End started to blare from Rommie's audio system as Buffy erupted into her own improvised fight pattern.  Her body a blur of movement, swiftly and efficiently moving from kicks to blocks to punches.  Occasionally executing some intricate and seemingly impossible acrobatic feat to avoid an invisible foe.

And that is how the Orca and Sabra-Jaguar Alphas and top warriors found her upon entering the Observation Deck led by Dylan and the rest of the Andromeda crew.

Minutes before… 

"Well Bolivar," Guderian said as their group mad their way to the Observation Deck, "seeing as we are forced into these most trying of circumstances, why not make the most of it.  As neutral territory, the Andromeda Ascendant could serve as an ideal location for physical combat, so that our eligible females can observe the prowess of our warriors."

"An excellent notion Guderian.  Say we begin the festivities tomorrow," replied Bolivar, mindful of his Pride's needs and the opportunity to extend their gene pool.

"Sure," Dylan said sarcastically under his breath opening the doors to the Observation Deck.  "I don't mind that you hold your mating rituals on…"

A blast of throbbing, pulsing music explodes out of the entrance, drowning out Dylan's protestations. 

"What in the hell."

The Neitzschean's stream into the room, ready for battle.  What they find shocks them into stillness.

They see a small blonde girl sparring in the middle of the Observation Deck, her body almost moving far too fast for them to follow.  Her frenetic energy exudes the room, imperceptibly arousing the men.

"Who is that," asked Guderian, admiration clear in his voice.

"That is their new crew member," replies Charlemange, annoyed that Guderian has taken notice of the woman, but too engrossed by her to protest.

"A most extraordinary woman," Tyr absently repeats, intently scrutinizing her expert movements.

"Men," said Beka, exasperated with the Neitzscheans' preoccupation with Buffy.

Rommie mentally disabled the music streaming out of her audio systems.

Buffy stopped, barely sweating and only slightly breathless.  "Oh hi guys.  Everything go alright," she directed innocently to the dumbfounded males.

Beka took a look at the silent, staring group.  _Oh boy._

Glossary

**Eui-Am:**  a very intricate pattern of defensive and offensive movements of the Tae Kwon Do discipline

**Dan:**  black belt level student  (basically, this means that Buffy is one bad ass fighter)


	14. Genetic Perfection

Author's Note:  Thank you all for continuing to read and review The Biological Imperative:  kate, Jeff, Alexander, Lasca, ForgottenByLove, Clio, Sarah, Mack, Wiccachic2000, Elenhiril, Promise, Bolo, Polly, Morpheus, Randi, Deep Red, Deb, Anne-Marie, Julie, Jill, dragonfly, Kaeryn Sun/Adm. Karen/X5-666, and Mary Rose.  Chapter 13 

"You'd think that they'd never seen a woman before," Beka muttered under her breath.

Trance smiled knowingly, pushing past the stunned wall of warriors, Harper right behind her.

"Buffy, that was phenomenal, where did you learn how to do that?"

"Here and there.  Some my Watcher taught me, the rest I picked up on the fly, watching Xander's action films and just doing whatever feels natural."

"Xander," asked Harper.

"One of my best friends back home, you and he would have gotten along great, you're so much alike," she remarked with a grin.

"Oh," slightly disappointed that once again, he had been delegated to 'friend' status with a woman, but nothing gets him down for long.  Noticing the pensive looks of the Neitzscheans, Harper was struck with the wonderful feeling he got when provoking Tyr.  _This'll be oh so much fun, _he thought gleefully.

"So Buffy, I was wondering, about your whole Slayer thing and all," he began grinning, "is it some genetic thing or is it just some whole mystical legacy that makes you so _super strong and damn near invincible_."

"I actually never really thought about it, I always assumed that, Slayer died another was called but…" she started, remembering her dream.  _Connected…by blood, by bone, and by our souls._  "I never really checked to see, I mean, hey human here, but…anyway, how could I even check.  Back in the day a DNA test was pretty damn expensive."

The Neitzschean's came to sudden attention, speculatively looking from Harper to Buffy.  

This was the first the Orca's had heard of Buffy's special skills, having only seen the barest indication while she was on board their ships and today.  To both clans, this woman was clearly a superior example of the human gene pool, and they were willing to overlook her _homo sapien_ status and start to court her if her genes proved suitable.  But to learn that she was even better than what they had only previously witnessed, that she was stronger, more able…like them, begged further investigation.

"Really," asked Dylan, interested in their discussion.

"Yeah, I mean, you only did it if you were going on Jerry Springer or something and wanted to find out if your baby was really yours and not your down home, two-headed cousin's from Oklahoma, who liked to lick his feet for fun every Fourth of July."

"Okay," Dylan said, trying to figure out if what she just said was in any way English.

"Cool," enthused Harper.  

_At least he got my joke_, Buffy thought, taking a look at the stoic Neitzscheans. 

"DNA tests have become more standardized since the twenty-second century," Rommie inserted, ever helpful.  "If you want, we can run a scan.  I'll just need a sample of your genetic material."

"Ummm," Buffy began, not exactly thrilled with the thought of being poked and prodded.

Seeing her discomfort, Rommie quickly reached into her pocket and removed a tube.  She approached Buffy and gave her a light tap on her forearm with the device.  Buffy jerked back, unhurt but perplexed.

"What did you…?"

"I just extracted a small amount of blood.  The barbaric form of tissue removal more common for your time has been greatly updated to be as unintrusive to the body as possible."

"Okay, but you could have asked first."

"Sorry," Rommie replied unrepentantly.

Trance hurriedly ushered Buffy out of the room. 

 "Come with me, you must be starved.  Did you even remember to eat lunch," Trance gently scolded her.

"It's not going to be like breakfast is it," Buffy asked worriedly, thinking of what constituted for food that morning.

Beka grinned, "No, the chemically processed, nutritionally balanced, and artificial swill served for breakfast is undoubtedly incomparable to that the thing we call lunch, which closely resembles dinner, _which_ is just one step away from breakfast."  

"Oh joy," Buffy said faintly.

Harper and Beka shared a mutual laugh, continuing to banter back and forth as Buffy reluctantly walked behind Trance. 

The two tagged behind her, leaving Dylan to deal with the overbearing Neitzscheans alone.  Rommie followed in their wake, bringing the sample along with her to the Medical Deck for analyzation.

"Wait…" began Guderian, stirring from his thoughts, wanting to know more about the girl and about the results of the test.

_What just happened here_, thought Dylan, watching the Neitzscheans look after his retreating crew.

In Dylan's quarters that night… 

Dylan is speaking with Rommie, venting.

"Damn those Neitzschean's," he grumbled from his relaxed position on a chair.  "All they wanted to talk about after you left was Buffy.  They were intrigued by her, and both Alphas want to be informed of the results of the test.  How did that go by the way?"

"Quite interesting, I informed Buffy of the results before she went to sleep," Rommie reported from her seat across from Dylan.  "She is human, just more so."

"More so," he responded, wearily raising his head.

"Yes, as I said, she's human, standard double helix, matching pairs in all the right places, but with a couple big differences.  Her DNA is perfect; usually, one has junk DNA, superfluous, coded for nothing.  Yet she doesn't, each strand is specifically coded for some unique purpose, which I can't seem to figure out.  And although her genes do consist of the double helix structure, it isn't just one single strand.  There are hundreds of separate strands, each perfectly coded, flawless.  But, in every other respect, she registers as a perfectly normal, human girl.  If one didn't think to look, if she was never tested like this before, than no one would have ever known."

Dylan becomes alert, "How did she take the news?"

"She was fine, but I don't think the significance of her uniqueness has sunk in yet."

"If the Neitzscheans find out, they'll be all over her.  And I don't think we could handle the fall out if she does choose to be with one of the Prides.  Make sure that they…"

"I don't think that it's possible to keep it from them," Rommie said, intently listening to some internal communiqué.

"What?"

"I've just been hacked!"

_Great, just great,_ Dylan thought, rubbing his eyes, _this is all I need._

"Be prepared Rommie, all hell is about to break loose."

Meanwhile… 

_God,_ thought Buffy, rolling over on the bed.  Sleepless, after her meeting with Rommie.

So I've got kicked up DNA, so what?  

_But is it just me, or do all Slayers have it.  I mean, I've been stronger, better since going through the portal.  And what was that the Tara said last night…**you were not the first to reject us, but you were the first to accept us**…does that mean that when I accepted my Slayer half I changed?  Became more like what the First was?  What does anyone really know about the Slayer, why we even exist, _how _we even exist?  _

_Ah!  This is just too much…I wish Willow was here, and Giles and…_ Buffy wiped her eyes, furiously rubbing away her tears.  _This is no time to feel sorry for yourself; you've got bigger problems.  Like finding a way home…after you've destroyed whatever it is you were sent here to destroy.  _

_Maybe that's it,_ she thought, abruptly changing her train of thought.  _Maybe They…whoever, whatever _They_ are that sent me here…maybe if I annihilate their Big Bad, then They'll send my back, send me home._

She cheered_, then after all this is done I can start to worry about my chromosomes or DNA or whatever.  I'm still human, I'm still me…Willow and Giles and I can worry about the rest later._

Satisfied that she had her plan, if not any of the absolute answers she thought, Buffy drifted off to sleep.

In Charlemange's guest quarters on board the Andromeda… 

_Ugh,_ he thinks, violently turning in bed, stretching his arms behind his head.

_Why does that woman plague me so?  She's just another girl._  A nagging voice contradicts his statement, emphasizing her importance to him.  Not to his Pride.

_And why should I care that Guderian and his men, even _my _men, find her so…worthwhile._

_She's just a girl…vibrant, alive.  So alive.  I want to grab her, take her away from here, from all this, and just keep her safe.  Make her mine._

"Rrrrrrrr," his twisting form giving forth an inarticulate sound of irritation.  He calms his breath, trying to ease his aroused body.  Frustration does not a happy Alpha make.

_Am I crazed?  Or has she put a spell on me and on all the other men she meets_, he thinks jealously.

_Well, they can't have her_, he snarled, mentally rendering the men limb from limb.  _She's mine…she was always mine…how dare they…_ He starts, back tracking until he processed his last thoughts.

Mine…what am I thinking.  My wives are barely gone and I find myself…infatuated with a human.  A girl I've never met before.

A faint stirring from the crib beside Charlemange interrupted his ruminations.  A faint glow illuminated his naked figure as it arose from the bed.  Charlemange bent down and picked up Traed; he had taken charge of his son and ordered his mother to rest, giving Sophia a reprieve for the night.

Gentle and loving behind closed doors, where no one could see his weakness.  He quieted the babe, rocking him back to sleep, wishing that he could bring back Elsbet, bring back his family, for him and his son.

As Buffy slept on, unplagued by prophetic dreams, Trance watched over her.

She approached the sleeping girl, coming to sit beside her.  Somehow able to not set off Buffy's hair trigger senses.  Trance reached out a pale hand and smoothed back honeyed tresses.

"You must be prepared for what's to come.  I will try to help, but it is up to _you_ to defeat him.  Remember, if you need help, if you feel like there's no hope, reach out for us."

Trance leans down to bless the sleeping figure with a kiss on her forehead.

"We are always with you, my sister."

Note 

The thing with Buffy's DNA, I got the idea from The Fifth Element, and a little bit from Dark Angel I guess…I wanted the most perfect of DNA strands for Buffy, the coded thing just kinda happened…then I remembered it was like Max from Dark Angel so…I'm just borrowing their ideas and melding them into my own for this story…


	15. The Neitzscheans Wanna What?

Author's Note:  Thank you all for continuing to read and review The Biological Imperative:  peppersmith, ForgottenByLove, Guardian Loki, Promise, Zoheret and Dove, Cherry, CyberAngelOne, Jeff, Elenhiril, Randi, Falcon-Rider, mandy, G. Zan, James W, Feynor, gio, Mandolin, dragonfly, Kaeryn Sun/Adm. Karen/X5-666, Deb, tayy, Gina G, adb, Wiccachic2000, Sarah, Nikki, Anne-Marie, SpikesBuffy, The Big Bezzer, SpikesWoman, Lasca, Anne, Miriya, AznAngel, Joann, Joshua, starshine, spikewriter, and Rashaka.  So sorry that I left you hanging longer than expected, but I've got the mother of all colds bringing me down.  *cough*cough*  _oops, there goes one of my lungs_  I really tried to right last night, but the screen kept going in and out of focus.  I'll try to fix those problems that have been pointed out to me…might just take up that offer of a beta reader…but until I have more free time, I'll just concentrate on putting out the story, doing the double checking myself, so bear with me.  And as to my future fanfictions…I have two ideas right now…either an au/crossover fic that has Buffy someone non-Spike…or an au fic that's all Buffy/Spike…I haven't decided yet.  But I will post a note in the last chapter of this story as to what I will be doing. Chapter 14 On board the primary Orca ship… 

Guderian is in his private quarters looking at a viewing screen.  There is a computer-generated image of a hundred double helixes bound together, with a close-up of a single strand enlarged off to the side.

"It's…remarkable; hundreds of perfectly coded DNA strands.  With her genetics integrated into our Pride, we would be unstoppable," as he spoke, a woman emerged from the shadows behind his chair.

"It was opportune that Jsalt was able to infiltrate the Andromeda's computer systems so easily."  She strolled over to the viewing screen, lifting a hand to trace the images.  "Superior strength, quick reflexes, accelerated healing, and from what I've heard, _her _capabilities far exceed our own genetically enhanced gifts.  Your progeny would create the ultimate Neitzschean line," Olga said with a cunning smile.  "Tomorrow at the Gathering, you will have the opportunity to win her over, to show her what a real Neitzschean can do.  Do not fail us."  She said, her skirts trailing after her as she leaves the room.

Guderian turned back to the viewing screen.

The next morning on board the primary Sabra-Jaguar ship… 

"This-this is amazing my son," Sophia started, pointing to a viewing screen.

Charlemange had gone back to his ship to oversee the preparations for the Gathering.  The Matriarch had cornered him as soon as he had gotten on board, to inform him of the results of Sehket's hack.  

Traed snuggled deeper into his father's embrace as Charlemange talked with his mother.  She smiled lightly at the picture the two made together; he had yet to relinquish Traed back into her keeping.

"Yes, it was quite well of Sehket to obtain the information for us.  Somehow, I don't think that Captain Hunt would have seen fit to share.  Not that I don't blame him," he said with a quirk of his brow.  "His ship is about to be overrun with Neitzscheans, all wanting to have the chance to…acquire his new crew member.  It will not be pretty, with the flying hormones and the flying…bodies," he grumbled the last, displeased with the whole situation.

Sophia's eyes gleamed, "Do I detect a note of jealousy?"

"What," he shouted.  Traed stirred, Charlemange quieted his voice.  "What?  Me…_jealous_…for that upstart.  Mother, please, she has the manners and disposition of a pack of charging Magog."

She smirked, "Yes, but she has the genetics that our people need, that our race has been striving for, for generations.  In that one human girl is our promise, our guarantee for the future of the Sabra-Jaguar Pride.  The Orca are aware of her…and if she does decide to choose a Neitzschean, then it must be one of ours."  Sophia walked away a slight distance.

"She…would make you a fitting mate," Sophia added softly, looking to her offspring.  "I know that it has not been long since…since they died, but you need to move on.  You must rebuild our Pride, and what better way to start then with this girl.  She seems to please you," Sophia offered with a small smile.

Charlemange looked down at his son, quiet.  

"Perhaps," he said quietly, considering.

On Andromeda's Hydroponics Deck… 

After an impromptu meeting with his crew, updating them on Buffy and last night's systems infiltration, Dylan left to greet the Neitzscheans coming onboard for the festivities, dragging Tyr along with him.  The Neitzschean seemed most reluctant to leave Buffy's side, though the girl in question was oblivious to his attraction.  

Earlier that morning, Dylan had confronted Guderian and a Sabra-Jaguar warrior for hacking his systems.  Their response, "You should have had better safeguards for your database.  If we could penetrate your systems in the first place, then you should thank us for alerting you to your incompetence."  Dylan's response?  A quick jog around the ship, followed by a vent to Rommie, seemed to alleviate his anger.

Harper decided to go with Dylan and Tyr, to check out the women and to avoid Andromeda.  When the AI had taken a closer look at her systems, she had discovered that her firewall protocols had been removed, by Harper.  Apparently, he had been updating her systems, but had forgotten to put the safeguards back up because of the Magog attacks.  To say she was extremely pissed would be a severe understatement.  Harper decided to 'get out of Dodge' until she cooled down, or until _he_ could hack into her database to erase all records of his role in her unlawful systems access.

In the meantime, Rommie, Beka, and Trance stayed behind to warn Buffy about the Neitzscheans.  Well, mostly it was Beka doing the warning.  Rommie made sure to fill Buffy in on the Neitzscheans, and Trance took care of her plants, occasionally giving her opinion.

"You're in trouble," teased Beka from her relaxed position on a bench.

"What," asked Buffy, helping Trance water some plants, "why?"

"You've been marked for conquest by the Neitzscheans, prepare to be bombarded with tight-ass, arrogant, Neanderthals."

"Huh?"

"Rommie's been hacked by someone on the Orca and Sabra-Jaguar ships…you know, you were there in the Mess when she started to tear Harper a new one."  Rommie gave a snort, part of her attention on the conversation, the other on the sensors trained on her captain.  "Anyway, they know that you're different, that you've got this like hyped up DNA."

"So, so they know I'm a little different.  I'm still human."

"And there in lays the source of your problems," she burst out, sitting up.

"And I say again…huh," Buffy said, pulling a face.

Rommie rolled her eyes and took it upon herself to explain Beka's ramblings, "Neitzscheans are a subspecies of humans, genetically engineered to be stronger, faster.  To excel, in the Darwinian term, in the survival of the fittest.  They are single-minded in their devotion for self-improvement and propagation of their own genes.  Usually, the males compete in acts of physical prowess, for the favor of the females, who choose their mates based on genetic fitness rather than emotional compatibility.  In that respect, their society is Matriarchal, because the females choose the mates.  Yet, there are stronger tones of a Patriarchal basis, for the females do indeed rely on the males for survival.  Often, a high status, genetically superior male can have many consorts at one time.  But, in the case where the males find a female of another species with favorable genes and compatible forms, then they do endeavor to recruit that female, and integrate her genetic material with their own."

Buffy's eyes glazed over, freezing her hand mid pour.  "I'm sorry for being repetitive, but…_huh_?"

"What old nuts and bolts there is trying to say is that the Neitzscheans want your body and intend to flex their pecs in front of you until you choose one of them as your mate.  Didn't you notice Tyr trying to get all chummy with you at breakfast?"

_Crash._  Buffy dropped the watering can.  "Oh_My_God!"

Same time, same place… 

"Oh_My_God!"

"You're kidding me right…please tell me your kidding me," she said, fumbling as she bent down to pick up the watering can.

Trance glanced her way, busying herself with some plants to hide her grin.  Beka lay back down on her seat, a self-satisfied smirk on her face.  Rommie resumed her attentions to the proceedings down on her Observation Deck.

Buffy turned to Trance, desperation holding her body rigid.  "Trance, tell me they're kidding."

Trance went around the table, going to Buffy's side.  She placed a companionable hand on her shoulder.  "Now, now, there's nothing to upset yourself about.  If you don't want to be the mate of a Neitzschean warrior then you don't have to be.  I'm sure that Dylan can convince them to leave you alone."

"Are you crazy," Beka exclaimed, "with all of their toughest warriors on board competing for mates, Buffy here is the main attraction.  All of them will be fighting to get the chance to show off for her.  They think that once she sees what they're made of, she won't be able to resist herself from submitting to their…charms."

Buffy's head hung low.

"This is all I need," she grumbled.  She raised her head to look at the ceiling.  "Thank you very much," she called, mentally directing her derision to the Powers.

Trance looked up, while Rommie ignored her, she was used to humans' strange behavior.  Oddly enough, the AI found that they seemed to derive comfort from speaking to inanimate objects.

Beka grinned, happy that someone else has to deal with overbearing Neitzschean males.  "Poor, poor you," she mocked.

Buffy calmed, lowering her head and releasing a breath.  

This is not happening, this is not happening.  Who do those people think they are, stealing my records, checking up on me so that they can…Do they really think that I'll be so impressed with them that I'll just forget about my home, my mission, and sit around to have babies for the rest of my life…?

"Argh," she fumed.

Buffy started to pace in front of Beka's bench.  "Well, I'm not having it.  They can just…they can just…_piss off_," she spit out, unknowingly resorting to one of Spike's idioms.

Everyone looked at her.  She stopped and faced them with an unholy glitter in her green eyes.

"They want Slayer strength, well they can have Slayer strength," she began, a smiling illuminating her face.  "Oh yes, I'll show them what a Slayer is made of."

Uh oh.

Buffy stormed out of the room, strapping on her sword belt.  She determinably made her way to the Observation Deck, where the Neitzscheans had assembled for the Gathering.

"Buffy, Buffy, are you sure about this," asked Trance, hurrying after the Slayer's retreating form.

Right behind her, Beka and Rommie jogged to keep up.

"Oh, leave her alone," Beka said, "If she wants to teach them a lesson, I say let her.  Serves them right for thinking that any woman would just fall at their feet because the great and perfect Neitzscheans deign to pay the tiniest bit of attention to her.  I mean, really."

_Dylan is not going to like this_, Rommie thought.

Meanwhile, on the Observation Deck… 

_Oooh, she's pretty and she's pretty…wait, no she's drop dead gorgeous…_*smack*

Harper turned to find that Tyr was the one to hit him; he rubbed fiercely at his aching head.

"Hey, why do you people feel the need to hit me to get my attention, a simple 'excuse me' works just as well," Harper snarked.

"But then it wouldn't be as entertaining for the rest of us," a voice retorted from behind them.  Charlemange Bolivar strolled up to the men, resplendent in bronze leather pants and long coat, a matching vest and dark gray silk shirt with frilly cuffs completing his ensemble.

"Hardy-har-har," Harper replied.  "You're one to talk.  What's with the outfit," giving a pointed look to the cuffs.

The Alpha let out a resigned breath, adjusting his cuffs.  "One is always a slave to the latest fashions, but I find they lend me an air of…"

"Mincing foppishness," interjected Tyr.

"I was going for more indolent opulence, but that works too," a benign smile concealing Charlemange's more ferocious nature.  "So Tyr, will you be participating in the games?  I know that two of my sisters will be watching, you might find them…pleasing."

"Gladly," Tyr responded.

"Uh, big guy, don't you think that'll be a problem for the Orcas.  What with them hating your guts and all," Harper asked.

Guderian and Dylan approached the group, making their way through the mass of Neitzscheans.

"What is _he_ doing here," Guderian questioned imperiously.

"He is a part of this crew, and I'll thank you to be civil to him while onboard my ship," Dylan upbraided.

"Yes," Charlemange inserted, "I've also invited him to participate in the games.  My sisters wanted to have a look at the last Kodiak.  I trust it won't be a problem," giving Guderian a pointed look.

Guderian snarled, reluctantly nodding his assent.  He calmed, giving the room a quick scrutiny.  "Where is your girl," he directed to Dylan.

"My girl," he said, playing dumb.

"Yes, the female who was here the other day.  It would be an honor if she would attend the festivities," the Orca said commandingly.

Harper snorted, turning away and resuming his study of the Neitzschean women.  

Charlemange threw the other Alpha a dark look.  "Why, anxious to have her kick your ass," he jeered.

"Excuse me."

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," interrupted Dylan, giving the Alphas his patented smile, casually moving between the two males.  "Don't you have some festivities to oversee?"

As the two turned to leave, a commotion at the Observation Deck entrance drew the men's awareness.  A path from the door to the Alphas cleared, revealing the determined approach of Buffy, the rest of the Andromeda's crew close behind her.

Harper smiled, _this is gonna be good_.

Buffy halted inches away from Charlemange's face, her set face rising up the few inches to meet his amused eyes.

"Hello," she said pleasantly, flashing a wide and slightly feral smile to the rest of the men.  The Slayer was obviously ready for battle.  A sword strapped to the tilt of her hips, riding low over her black leather pants and the white cloth of a tunic, her hair pulled back in a sleek bun.  It was an interesting ensemble, the top originally a short and feminine, sleeve-less dress, gathered in a straight line down her front, combined with kick ass boots and her black leather pants.  

"Hello," Charlemange responded, quirking that brow at her audacity.

"Hello," Guderian said, subtly nudging Charlemange away and gaining Buffy's attention.  "I hope that you will stay for the games, they can be quite…entertaining," he rumbled.

"Oh, I'll be staying all right," she said, her smile growing wider.  "Your games, they sound like fun.  Thank you ever so much for inviting me to join you.  I haven't had a really good work out since I left home," she teased.

Guderian paused, "What, no, that's not what I…"

Charlemange grinned, now this was more like it.  _She couldn't very well be attracted to a man she could defeat…and I severely doubt that any of _them _are skilled enough to take her on, _he thought.  Charlemange may not be as big and hulky as the Orcas or most of his Pride, but he was fast and an expert at several fighting disciplines.  His refined mannerisms concealed a true Neitzschean warrior.  "But of course, you're free to participate in the games.  How absolutely uncouth of me to not ask you if you wanted to join in.  Come, let me show you what is involved."

The Alpha whisked her away before Guderian could protest.

_Let the games begin_, Harper and Beka thought.


	16. Never Mess With A Slayer

**Author's Note:**  Thank you for continuing to read and review The Biological Imperative:  Elenhiril, Lexicat, Sarah, Anymous, CyberAngelOne, Jeff, ForgottenByLove, SaiyaSith, Alexander the God, Polly, Randi, Kristy Marie, Bolo, Feynor, Rashaka, Promise, Deb, Sarah the Bloody, dragonfly, Alexia Goddess, watchergirl, dan, mandy, lilchica~*, Guardian Loki, Miriya, SpikesBuffy, Anne-Maire, SunnyD, and Vanna Maxwell.  Special thanks to all of you who sent me get well wishes, remedies, etc.  Your concern is much appreciated.  I tried to get this out sooner but the fight scene between Buffy and Charlemange was giving me problems.  The quarterstaff fight choreography came straight from the film _Brotherhood of the Wolf_, a pretty good movie, but the quips are all mine.  Thank you for pointing that out to me Joshua… "Let's dance you and I," is from **A Knight's Tale**.  I thought it was from BtVS…*blush*…  And as to the whole Trance/sister thing…**all will be revealed in due time. **

Chapter 15 

The Observation Deck was packed, the best and brightest of the Orca and Sabra-Jaguar Prides gathered to battle and find mates.  

The Orcas could be identified by the great, hulking figures of their men and the flowing white garments of their women.  In contrast, the Sabra-Jaguar males were slightly smaller, more compact, while the females were garbed in either stylish colored dresses or pants and tunic.  

In the center of the room, a large circle had been cleared for the fights.  At present, an Orca and Sabra-Jaguar dueled in its center, fighting with fists and forearm spikes.  The Prides roamed around, watching the duelists and acquainting themselves with each other.  

"They're pretty good," Buffy observed to Charlemange as they made their way through the crowd.  

"Um, yes, quite," he said awkwardly, his cool demeanor faltering for a moment before the effervescent beauty.  

He cleared his throat, "The trials consist of hand-to-hand combat, quarterstaffs, blades, and the like.  They are either one-to-one or free-for-alls, a group competing until one arises the victor."

"Cool, I like the sound of the free-for-all one," she commented, walking ahead to better study the fighters.

"What…no" the Alpha said, speaking to thin air.  "Damn the girl," he cursed under his breath, starting after her retreating form.

****

Eight Neitzschean warriors surrounded her, four Orca and four Sabra-Jaguar, each bearing a quarterstaff.  Buffy had challenged the Alphas, saying that she could beat ten of their best warriors.  Humoring her, they conceded to eight of their younger warriors.  They had seen her train, and thought that she would give their boys a good work out…before they defeated her.  Even though they knew she was more than she appeared, they still thought that they were better.  

Buffy knew what the Alphas were up to, but she didn't mind.  It was their funeral.  To make it fair, she declined the use of a staff.

"You sure your up to this," Charlemange called out from the side lines. 

"Why…scared that I'll hurt them," she responded, removing her sword-belt and handing it to Trance.

He snorted; Buffy was coming to discover that that sound was the standard Neitzschean response to just about everything.

She turned to the men, flashing them a feral smile.  "Come and get me boys."

The men shared condescending smiles, the first warrior nodding his head to the others.  He rushed Buffy, clutching the staff in his hands.  She remained still until he was almost upon her, giving a front snap kick to his stomach.  He hunched forward.  Another kick released the staff into the air, while a second knocked him onto his back.  Buffy grabbed for the staff, twirling it around her.  She braced it behind her back and in the cradle of her right arm until it was horizontal to her body.  The Slayer pointed one end at the men, warning them way.  They withdrew and surrounded her, now wary.

"Please tell me that wasn't the best you had.  Who knew that you guys were all bark and no bite?"

She cockily walked forward, stepping around the fallen warrior, a smile spreading across her features as she stopped in the middle of the ring.  Removing the staff from the cradle of her arm, she gave it a twirl before standing it upright before her, deceptively calm.

An Orca attacked her from the left, his staff held high to strike her head.  She blocked and quickly kicked him away.  A third came at her back; she turned, using the momentum of her body and staff to knock him down.  She did the same to a Sabra-Jaguar, inherently sensing his charge and continuing to twist her body to avoid his blow. She cracked the staff across his back, leaving him groaning at her feet.

A dark haired fighter attempted to hit her, she blocked high, ramming the flat of her boot into his chest.  His body flew through the air, landing just outside the circle.

"Oops, sorry, guess that was a little too strong," she exclaimed impishly, sparing the man a glance.

Two warriors tried to take advantage of her slight preoccupation, charging her from either side.  Buffy blocked the first, quickly turning to meet the second, staffs crashing together with a resounding bang.  She turned back to the first, jabbing him in the stomach with her staff and spun around to the second, clouting him harshly across the face, knocking them both out.

"That ain't gonna be pretty come tomorrow," she gibed, referring to the livid bruise even now discoloring the man's cheek.

Her first two attackers managed to recover in the minutes it took her to put down their cohorts.  They rushed her now, raising their staffs to strike out at her simultaneously.  Buffy effortlessly blocked their combined attacks, shoving them away, and tilted her staff until it was perpendicular to the floor.  Defying gravity, she jumped up, using the staff as her support, and executed a side split in mid-air, knocking both men down.  She straightened, pointing her staff at the regrouping men.  She swiftly twirled it around until it was again braced against her body, coolly eyeing the injured before her. 

She _tsked _them, a wide grin making her green eyes sparkle, "Now, now boys, mustn't be pissy."

The crowd was silent, then…_Clap, clap, clap.  _The sound echoed through the large room and halted the fighters.

Buffy turned to see Charlemange making his way to her from the sidelines, clapping all the way.  "Bravo, my love, bravo."

Still primed from her fight, she defiantly tossed her head.  "You wanna be next," she challenged.

Charlemange feigned innocence, "No, I wouldn't dream of it."  More seriously, "I think you proved your point, love."

She frowned at his endearment; that was the second time he had called her his 'love.'  The way his voice rumbled out the name sent shivers through her body, it reminded her of Spike and…she got angry.  

"What's the matter Charlemange Bolivar, scared," she taunted.

"No, just wiser than you," he bit out through clenched teeth.

"Oh yeah," she said, coming up to him, so close they bumped toes.  

"Yeah," he said.

The atmosphere suddenly charged, the two strong personalities clashing together in a battle of wills.  Their bodies tensed with anger and…something else.

"Buffy, that was wonderful," interrupted Trance, coming hurrying between the two opponents, Dylan and Guderian right behind her.

"Yes, an excellent display," Guderian said consideringly. 

Dylan clapped them on their backs, "Everything all right?"

The two ignored them, their eyes boring into each other.  

A thought came into Buffy's head, what Spike had told her about dancing and fighting during one of their early confrontations, when he still wanted to kill her.  

She grinned, a savage bearing of her teeth.  "Let's dance, you and I."

He quirked his scarred brow in bemusement.

_So like him_, Buffy thought.  "Do you want to fight," she clarified precisely, as if talking to a small child.

At the last of his patience he reluctantly relented.  "Fine…but _after_ the other fights," he snarled.

"Fine then," she retorted childishly, reverting to her old Spike/Buffy repertoire with the Sabra-Jaguar Alpha.  
  


"Fine."

The two stormed off to opposite sides of the room, leaving the others to wonder what the _hell_ just happened.

****

On one side of the Observation Deck… 

"God, stare much," Buffy breathed, her eyes shying away from the intent gazes of men and women alike.

"I think they're…awed by you," said Trance, overhearing Buffy.

"Yeah, it's not everyday a little thing like you kicks _eight_ Neitzschean warrior asses at once," quipped Harper, coming up to Trance and Buffy's side.  "Hey my little chicas how goes it?"

Buffy laughed, "Apparently not as good as you.  What have you been up to?"

"I've just met up with a stunning long drink of the red headed variety.  Could be definite possibilities there if mama bear would just leave her side for one minute," he said, craning his neck around to catch a glimpse of the female in question.

"Oh Harper," Trance said exasperatedly, "Just because a girl smiles at you once does not signify attraction."

The mechanic grinned unrepentantly, "Says you."

"Says me," she replied laughingly.  "Besides, make one move toward her and you'll find yourself at the end of several dozen Neitzschean phasers."

Dylan and Tyr walked up to the trio, Beka and Rommie were helping the Alphas oversee the games.

"I see everyone's enjoying themselves," Dylan said, he had especially enjoyed seeing the Neitzscheans' reactions to her.  "Buffy, an outstanding performance, you're very…resourceful.  Do you play chess by any chance?"

"Uh, no.  I can never remember which way the horsey or little soldier guys are supposed to go," she told him carefully.

"That's too bad, I bet you would make an excellent opponent."

Tyr threw his arm around Buffy's shoulders, effectively interrupting the conversation, much to the amusement of Trance and Harper.

"Would you like to spar with me sometime, I'm sure there is much we can teach each other," the Kodiak said suggestively.

"Ummm," Buffy responded, uncomfortable, trying to shake off his grip.

"I thought you were gunning for one of Charlemange's sisters, or do you think Buffy would make a good second wife," Harper asked, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

"What," she exclaimed.

****

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Observation Deck… 

A fuming Charlemange covertly observed the friendly group conversing far before him, focusing on the almost embracing figures of Tyr and the Slayer.

"Something bothering you my son," asked Sophia, following Charlemange's gaze.  "Ah, the girl, I see that the Kodiak holds her in thrall."

The two watched as Buffy threw off the Neitzschean's arm and started to rebuke him, her words softly spoken, but rather fierce in their assessment.  She was obviously very angry with the man.

"Or not," she concluded with a smile.  "There is hope for you yet."

Relieved, but unwillingly to confess it, "I don't think so.  She's challenged me to a fight."

"Yes, I know.  Not exactly the way I would have gone about winning her over, but you've always been different," she teased lightly.  "It will give her the chance to see my boy in action, I only hope that she does not hurt you too badly."

He gave his mother a wide grin, "And why do you think that I would not be the one to would defeat her, have you no faith in my capabilities?"

"I have every faith in you, but…she is obviously a very strong fighter."

"Yes mother," he replied indulgently.  He looked to her, finally noticing that his Sophia's arms were empty, "By the by, where is my son?"

"I left him with Elsa for a moment, don't worry so.  Come let us see how are people fare." 

He ruefully shook his head extending his arm and leading them to the circle.

****

Much later… 

"Your warriors have done well for themselves, but then again so have mine," Guderian said, observing the last battle between his brother Bariden and a Sabra-Jaguar male.

"Yes, a most satisfactory Gathering if I do say so myself, there may be quite a few pairings when at last we part," Charlemange responded.  

The fight ended, with Bariden the victor, the Orcas burst into cheers.

Charlemange sighed and started to remove his jacket.

"Are you really going to fight the girl," Guderian asked over the clamor.

"I said I would.  Can't let the lady down now can I."  

Charlemange proceeded to take of his clothes until he was bare from the waist up.  He bent down to take off his boots, when he looked to the circle; he saw that Buffy was there, sans boots too.

Sophia came over, Traed secure in her arms.  

"Good luck Charlemange," she gave a cheeky grin, "you'll need it."

"Off with you now," he smiled back, leaning over to give his son a kiss.

"That's a fine boy you've got there," observed Guderian, reaching a large finger out to be grabbed by the boy.  "Perhaps in a few years, he would be worthy for one of my daughters."

"Perhaps."

The throng around the make shift arena had thickened over the last few minutes, but the fighters were unperturbed by their scrutiny.  As soon as the two entered the circle, it was as if no one existed except the two of them.

"You ready for me love," Charlemange rumbled as he took a fighter's stance before her.

The Slayer smiled, assuming a similar stance.  "More than ready."

They burst into action; Charlemange swinging his right arm into punch followed by a left jab, his movements a blur of speed.  Buffy blocked him just as fast and pushed him away, twisting her body into a quick roundhouse kick.  Charlemange caught her descending leg and shoved her back; Buffy used that momentum to turn her fall into a back handspring.  She turned, just in time to dodge a crescent kick.  They withdrew slightly, grinning at each other.

"You're fast…for a Neitzschean."

"You're good…for a woman," he teased back lightly.

 She rushed him, moving into a flurry of quick rabbit punches to his torso.  He blocked every one, finally catching her arms in his hands.  She smiled, then surprised him with a head butt, only strong enough to bruise.  He backed away again.  It was like a game of cat and mouse, only you couldn't tell which was which.  

They were…playing with each other.

Charlemange swung at her, she spun around his body to avoid the blow, but he quickly raised his elbow, staggering her slightly.  First contact.  

He swiftly grabbed at her, holding her in a headlock.

"Smooth move," she commented from his hold, raising her hands up to his forearm.

"What's say we dispense with all the foreplay and just get to the down and dirty," he breathed by her ear.

"Fine with me."

She snap kicked her leg straight up, stunning him with the blow and her flexibility.

"Oh, that'll be useful later," he said with a grin.

"You wish."

She launched into a flying kick and the battle was on.  

Their fight became a dance, a choreographed symphony of kicks and punches perfectly contrasted to blocks and dodges, a blow only occasionally making contact until…

Charlemange landed a powerful uppercut, knocking the Slayer down.  Buffy braced herself with one hand, scissoring her legs between the Alphas' and causing him to slam onto his back.  She raised one leg and thumped it down onto his chest; he expelled his breath with a great and audible _whoosh_.

Buffy flipped back onto her feet, moving to stand over Charlemange's prone form.  She looked down and fell to her knees, straddling his body.

"Had enough," she panted lightly.

"Maybe," he wheezed back.  "Just…give me a minute."

She smiled, "You're kinda cute when you're all humble and defeated."

Charlemange's clear blue eyes flared for a moment before they were shuttered behind his arrogant facade.  

He laughed up at her, ignoring the rather large audience observing their intimate by-play.  "Oh really love," he breathed, tensing his body and brining his hands up to her legs.  The message was clear, he could go for another dance…if she was up to it. 

Tossing her head back with a laugh, she leaned down until only inches separated their faces and tapped his chin with one slender finger.  "Here's a tip _love_, never mess with a Slayer."

****


End file.
